The visit to the farm, located at Lake Temengor in the state of Perak, was organised by WWF-Malaysia as part of the Asia-wide Sustainable Seafood Festival (SSF). Fifteen Malaysian seafood retailers, distributors, restaurant owners and chefs learnt about Trapia’s sustainable farming practices and gained a better understanding of responsible fish farming.
Chris Ninnes, ASC’s CEO applauded the initiative: “It’s great to hear about WWF-Malaysia taking the lead in introducing responsible tilapia aquaculture to their stakeholders. It is paramount to engage with the market at a grass root level and encourage the supply chain to commit to responsible seafood sourcing.
“Trapia is the first farm in Malaysia to gain certification against ASC’s rigorous Tilapia Standard. They are a clear example of how a focus on environmental stewardship and social responsibility is recognised and rewarded through the ASC certification programme.”
Alejandro Tola Alvarez, Chief Technical Officer, GenoMar AS explains how ASC certification fits into Trapia Malaysia’s sustainability strategy: “We want to be with the best in the industry and show our stakeholders that we are a responsible organisation.”
“ASC certification provides additional assurance and trust to our shareholders. A positive aspect of the ASC standard is that it brings a stronger multi-stakeholder perspective in the company’s decision making processes which at the end becomes just ‘the way you think.”
Sustainable Seafood Festival in Asia
The Sustainable Seafood Festival is a new initiative introduced by WWF and the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). This year’s campaign ran from 8 to 15 June across four different countries in the region: Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore.
Tied with the World Oceans Day, the goal of the week-long festival is to encourage responsible seafood consumption by empowering suppliers, retailers, restaurants and consumers to choose responsibly produced seafood. The campaign aims to drive sustainability throughout the entire seafood supply chain.
Other SSF initiatives included the successful Japanese ASC pangasius launch organised by AEON, Japan’s largest retailer, and WWF-Japan in Tokyo on 5 June. And, WWF-Canada honoured the lead up to World Oceans Day on 4 June by organising a sampling of ASC certified responsibly farmed tilapia with the support of Loblaws.
Certification and labelling programme for responsible aquaculture
Since the launch of the ASC logo in April 2012, the ASC programme has developed in the Asian region. There are now ASC approved products across China, Hong Kong, Japan, Republic of South Korea, and Taiwan. Japan leads the way with more than 60 approved ASC certified products, with four being consumer-facing products available in AEON stores.
Products carrying the ASC logo can be traced to a responsibly managed farm through the supply chain. Companies are assessed against strict requirements before they can become ASC Chain of custody certified.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) After a fairly strong upward trend in 2025, Vietnam’s clam exports entered 2026 with a mixed picture: strong growth at the beginning of the year, followed by a slowdown from March onward. According to Vietnam Customs data, Vietnam’s clam export turnover in the first four months of 2026 reached more than USD 38 million, up 2% compared to the same period in 2025.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius industry is facing new opportunities to expand its development space as many localities and businesses begin promoting marine farming models aimed at diversifying farming areas and adapting to climate change. However, for pangasius to truly “go offshore” and develop into a large-scale industry segment, significant challenges related to technology, broodstock, and markets still need to be addressed.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tilapia exports in April 2026 reached USD 11 million, up 92% compared to the same period in 2025. This strong growth indicates that Vietnamese tilapia products are continuing to penetrate and expand rapidly in international markets. Cumulative export turnover in the first four months of 2026 reached USD 49 million, up 151% year-on-year.
(seafood.vasep.com) At VietShrimp Asia 2026, disease management trends in shrimp farming are shifting strongly from treatment-based approaches toward proactive prevention through environmental and pond ecosystem control.
(vasep.com.vn) After a period of strong growth, with export turnover reaching USD 38 million in Q1/2026 — up 174% year-on-year — the sector’s rapid expansion clearly reflects growing market opportunities.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first quarter of 2026, Vietnam’s pangasius exports to the ASEAN bloc reached USD 44 million, up 7% compared to the same period in 2025. After falling to the lowest level of the quarter at USD 9 million in February — reflecting the seasonal slowdown in orders after the festive period — exports recovered strongly to USD 18 million in March, the highest monthly value of the quarter. This development shows that import demand for pangasius in ASEAN remains relatively stable despite short-term fluctuations.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On May 11, 2026, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced a positive comparability finding for Vietnam’s swimming crab fisheries, along with those of Indonesia and Sri Lanka, under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). With this decision, seafood and seafood products harvested from Vietnam’s swimming crab fisheries will continue to be eligible for import into the US market.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) After a slowdown in 2025, Vietnam’s tuna exports to Germany showed more positive signs in the first quarter of 2026. However, the recovery remains uncertain as consumer demand in Germany is still cautious, while market competition is increasingly driven by pricing and supply stability.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) After a sharp decline in 2025, Vietnam’s tuna exports to Israel are showing positive signs of recovery in the early months of 2026. According to Vietnam Customs data, export turnover to this market grew steadily month by month in Q1/2026, reaching nearly USD 10 million, up 33% compared to the same period in 2025. However, compared to Q1/2024, this level remains significantly lower, indicating that the recovery is still in its early stage following last year’s strong adjustment.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Entering 2026, the U.S. whitefish market has shown complex developments as global cod supply continues to tighten, while the U.S. trade environment becomes less stable. In this context, the U.S. market has had to become more flexible in sourcing alternative whitefish. However, relying heavily on Alaska pollock is not a long-term solution, as it is a strictly managed fishery with quotas and sustainability regulations, limiting any rapid increase in output to offset cod shortages.
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