Now thousands of customers at pubs, hotels, restaurants, schools and hospitals across the UK will enjoy prawns and basa sourced from farms that care for the environment, the people and local communities
Responsible sourcing is a key element of Brakes strategy. Andrew Crawford, Fish & Seafood Category Manager for Brakes, explained how the foodservice provider is looking to grow its range of ASC certified products, starting with the new warm water prawns.
"We want to be seen as market leaders in the provision of sustainably and responsibly sourced fish and seafood, driving the foodservice market in the right direction and the introduction of ASC certified products into our product range will help us to do this," Crawford said. "We are proud to offer the biggest range of sustainable fish and seafood in the UK and we also work closely with our customers to help them meet their own commitments. Ultimately, sourcing sustainably and responsibly is the right thing to do."
Committed to responsibly farmed seafood
In May 2015 Brakes became the first national wholesale foodservice supplier to sign the Sustainable Fish City pledge, committing to source fish and seafood only from demonstrably sustainable and responsible sources for its own brand, general sale range by May 2016.
As a further extension of their commitment to protect the marine environment, Brakes have also added three lines of ASC certified pangasius Basa to their product offerings this month.
"We are gradually tailoring our range to fulfil our commitment and the new ASC certified shrimp and pangasius will help in this process. We have a long history of sustainable fish and seafood initiatives and accomplishments, and looking at our farmed range is the next logical step," continued Crawford.
"It's a significant moment to have the first ASC certified prawn in UK foodservice now available. The UK foodservice market is a global leader is responsible seafood, and this commitment by Brakes to offer not only shrimp, but also ASC certified Basa, is a strong example that responsible aquaculture is good for business," said Esther Luiten, Senior Commercial Marketing Manager for ASC.
"By choosing ASC certified species, Brakes is supporting farms that protect the environment while offering their customers a responsible choice."
Pubs, schools and others food service providers that source ASC certified products from Brakes can apply for an ASC Chain of Custody Certification, which would allow them to use the consumer facing logo. The ASC logo recognises and rewards those who prioritise responsible aquaculture. Furthermore, the logo lets customers know that their meal originates from a responsible source and gives them confidence that their purchase makes a positive contribution to the health of our oceans, local ecosystems and workers' rights.
Traceability assurance
The ASC certified prawns are sourced from the Vietnamese shrimp farm, Quoc Viet. The family run business was the first Asian shrimp farm to gain ASC certification following independent assessment against the ASC Shrimp Standard.
ASC labelled seafood can be traced back through the supply chain to a responsibly managed fish farm. In order to achieve chain of custody certification each company in the supply chain must meet strict requirements and have in place traceability systems that ensure no product mixing or substitutions can occur.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The year 2025 marked a pivotal milestone for Vietnam’s seafood industry in its restructuring process toward sustainability, transparency, and higher value creation, amid continued uncertainties in the global economic and trade environment. Prolonged inflation in major economies, the rising trend of trade protectionism, and increasingly stringent requirements related to environmental standards, traceability, and social responsibility have posed significant challenges to seafood production and exports. Nevertheless, overcoming these pressures, Vietnam’s seafood sector has gradually demonstrated its adaptability, maintained growth momentum, and laid an important foundation for the next stage of development.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Amid the increasingly evident impacts of drought and saltwater intrusion, the shrimp-rice production model in Ca Mau province continues to prove itself as a viable direction, contributing to higher farmer incomes, improved soil conditions and the promotion of ecological and sustainable agricultural development.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The management of fishing vessels, monitoring of fishing activities, and handling of violations in the fisheries sector in Lam Dong province have continued to be implemented in a synchronized and stringent manner, contributing to raising awareness of legal compliance among fishermen and aiming to end illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Can Tho’s fishery industry sustained steady growth in 2025 with total aquatic and marine output reaching nearly 783,000 tons, fulfilling 100% of the annual target. Aquaculture, capture fisheries and fishing fleet management were further strengthened, aiming for sustainable development in the coming years.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In 2025, Vietnam’s pangasius export turnover reached nearly USD 2.2 billion, up 8% year-on-year. This result indicates that pangasius exports maintained their growth momentum despite significant volatility in the global market environment. In December 2025, pangasius export value reached USD 200 million, up 10% compared to December 2024. This solid performance in the final month of the year reflects increased import demand for consumption and inventory replenishment in key markets.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In 2025, Vietnam’s tuna exports to Spain experienced significant fluctuations. According to Vietnam Customs, during the first 11 months of 2025, export turnover for the first 11 months of the year edged up by 0.3% year-on-year, reaching nearly $15 million.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son has signed Decision No. 16/QD-TTg, dated January 5, 2026, approving the implementation plan for the Vietnam-Israel Free Trade Agreement (VIFTA). Under the plan, in the coming period, ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government-affiliated entities and People’s Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities must institutionalize and execute tasks focused on the dissemination of information regarding VIFTA and the Israeli market; legislative and institutional development, as well as enhancing competitiveness and human resource growth...
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Beyond achieving double-digit growth, Vietnam’s fish cake and surimi exports are showing a notable year-end "inflection point": the EU his accelerating with nearly twofold growth, China & Hong Kong are rising sharply, while the largest market, South Korea, signaled a slowdown in November. According to Vietnam Customs data, export turnover of fish cake and surimi reached $327 million in the first 11 months of 2025, up 22% year-on-year; November 2025 alone accounted for $35 million, marking a 5% increase. This serves as a critical foundation for exporters to reassess market structures and competitive intensity while finalizing order strategies for 2026.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Ca Mau, widely regarded as the nation’s “shrimp capital”, continued its strong performance in 2025 as shrimp output reached nearly 600,000 tons, maintaining its position as Vietnam’s leading shrimp-producing locality.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On December 29, 2025, at the 2025 Pangasius Industry Review Conference held in Can Tho City, the Vietnam Pangasius Association announced that fingerling prices have surged to record levels due to acute supply shortages.
VASEP - HIỆP HỘI CHẾ BIẾN VÀ XUẤT KHẨU THỦY SẢN VIỆT NAM
Chịu trách nhiệm: Ông Nguyễn Hoài Nam - Phó Tổng thư ký Hiệp hội
Đơn vị vận hành trang tin điện tử: Trung tâm VASEP.PRO
Trưởng Ban Biên tập: Bà Phùng Thị Kim Thu
Giấy phép hoạt động Trang thông tin điện tử tổng hợp số 138/GP-TTĐT, ngày 01/10/2013 của Bộ Thông tin và Truyền thông
Tel: (+84 24) 3.7715055 – (ext.203); email: kimthu@vasep.com.vn
Trụ sở: Số 7 đường Nguyễn Quý Cảnh, Phường An Phú, Quận 2, Tp.Hồ Chí Minh
Tel: (+84) 28.628.10430 - Fax: (+84) 28.628.10437 - Email: vasephcm@vasep.com.vn
VPĐD: số 10, Nguyễn Công Hoan, Ngọc Khánh, Ba Đình, Hà Nội
Tel: (+84 24) 3.7715055 - Fax: (+84 24) 37715084 - Email: vasephn@vasep.com.vn