“This year, we want to engage not only producers, but also retailers, hotels and restaurants that buy seafood from the producers,” Margareth Meutia, WWF senior officer for the program, told Bali Daily on Wednesday.
The establishment of Seafood Savers aims to promote a sustainable fishery industry by ensuring that seafood is produced, caught, processed and distributed sustainably throughout the supply chain, from the sea to the plate.
Since it was established in 2009, the program has received positive responses from industry players. At present, 10 companies — comprising nine fish producers and one retailer — have joined the initiative.
Meutia said more retailers, hotels and restaurants were being targeted to raise awareness on sustainable fishing practices in the local industry and among the public in Indonesia.
“Most of the companies that have joined us are fish exporters. For these companies, applying sustainable practices is a must, due to demand by the importing countries. But we feel that we have to do more to campaign and educate on this issue domestically. Therefore, we want to engage more companies that are doing all their business here,” she said.
She added that the amount of seafood consumed domestically by retailers, hotels and restaurants was significant, thus making it more important to educate the public on sustainable fishing.
By joining the program, companies are assisted to apply principles that are in compliance with the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC). They will also get assistance to be able to achieve MSC or ASC certification.
According to the WWF, the global fishing industry has experienced massive expansion in recent decades. Its report indicates that areas exploited by global fishing fleets have increased tenfold since 1950.
By 2006, 100 million square kilometers, or about one-third of the ocean’s surface, had been impacted by fishing. Global marine catches have increased fivefold from 19 million tons in 1950 to 87 million tons in 2005, thus driving exploitation beyond carrying capacity.
Capture fisheries also face severe issues of by-catch, where a portion of a commercial fishing catch consists of marine animals caught unintentionally, such as juvenile fish, biologically important species and even endangered, threatened and protected species, causing further degradation to the marine ecosystem.
The UN’s Food and Agriculture Office (FAO) reports confirm that the world’s aquaculture production increased from less than 1 million tons per year in the early 1950s to 52 million tons in 2008.
Unfortunately, this growth comes with the use of unsustainable practices that damage the surrounding environment, such as mangrove clearing, excessive use of chemical substances and the introduction of new species.
One of the companies that has joined this initiative is UD Pulau Mas, a Bali-based company exporting live grouper fish. The company dominates the market of live grouper in Indonesia, with 60 percent market share.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In Hoa Vang district (Da Nang City), red tilapia farming is demonstrating clear economic efficiency, becoming a promising livelihood that helps many households increase their income. A notable example is the model of Mr. Huynh Ngoc Nam, who operates two red tilapia ponds covering more than 4 hectares, generating stable annual income.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In Gia Vien district, tilapia farming—particularly the “duong nghiep” strain—is expanding rapidly and gradually becoming an efficient production model for local farmers. Hatcheries in the area are supplying high-quality, uniform, and disease-free fingerlings, meeting the growing demand for commercial farming.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On the afternoon of March 19, Vice Chairman of the Ca Mau Provincial People’s Committee, Le Van Su, chaired a meeting to address bottlenecks and propose solutions to expand the super-intensive whiteleg shrimp farming model using low water exchange and high biosecurity standards (RAS-IMTA).
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On March 10, 2026, the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee issued Decision No. 1377/QD-UBND approving the Aquatic Animal Disease Prevention and Control Plan for the 2026–2030 period. The decision takes effect from the date of signing and replaces previous plans for the 2021–2030 period that had been issued prior to the administrative merger in Ba Ria – Vung Tau, Binh Duong, and Ho Chi Minh City.
(vasep.com.vn) In 2025, Chile imported more than USD 156 million worth of tuna, up 8.1% compared to the previous year and the highest level in the past five years. As the supply structure in this market is rapidly shifting, Vietnamese tuna is facing both opportunities to expand market share and increasing competitive pressure from Thailand, Colombia, and China.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vinh Long Province is stepping up efforts to develop brackish water shrimp farming in a sustainable direction, identifying it as a key sector in its agricultural structure. In 2026, the province aims to reach around 71,300 hectares of shrimp farming, with an output of over 314,000 tons.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Ha Tinh Province is strengthening control over shrimp seed quality to minimize risks for the 2026 spring–summer farming season.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In February 2026, Vietnam’s pangasius exports reached USD 119 million, down slightly 5% year-on-year. However, thanks to strong performance in January, cumulative exports in the first two months of the year still reached USD 331 million, up 28% compared to the same period in 2025. Export activity slowed somewhat in February due to seasonal factors, particularly the Lunar New Year holiday, which disrupted production and shipments at many seafood processing enterprises.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Da Nang is accelerating the development of high-tech shrimp farming toward intensive production, disease control, and improved efficiency. Many shrimp farms have invested in automated environmental monitoring systems, continuously tracking indicators such as pH, dissolved oxygen, temperature, and salinity, enabling farmers to promptly adjust pond conditions and reduce disease risks.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The year 2025 is considered a turning point for Vietnam’s shrimp seed industry as the sector faces the need for strong transformation in technology, production management, and gradual self-sufficiency in broodstock supply. These factors are seen as key to improving seed quality and strengthening the competitiveness of the shrimp industry amid increasingly demanding market requirements.
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