The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) joined private and public sector leaders in calling for a new global seafood traceability system to give consumers, businesses, and governments full access to information about marine fishing practices.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has extended a 2008 agreement with China to enhance cooperation between the two countries on food and feed safety, the FDA said in a recent release.

(vasep.com.vn) WWF Sweden has recently amended its Fish Guide’s newest summary. In which, the environmental organization put Vietnam pangasius on the ‘green list’ of healthy seafood for consumption, according to Commercial mission of Vietnam Embassy in Sweden.

Thousands of poor people have risen above the poverty line in the last seven years thanks to sustainable fisheries, deputy minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Vu Van Tam said yesterday.

(vasep.com.vn) After the success of a research project on development of improved-quality pangasius broodstock, An Giang Aquatic Breeding Production Center has provided 5,600 pangasius broodstock to three hatcheries in An Giang province.

(vasep.com.vn) In late November 2012, the ceremony titled “Celebrating Vietnam Pangasius Sector Achieving Responsible Production Target in 2012” was held in Ho Chi Minh city to honor the first five Vietnamese pangasius producers gaining ASC certification.

The European Union Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) released a number of food safety alerts for fish and fish products over the past two weeks.

The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) has formed an alliance with the China Aquatic Products Processing and Marketing Alliance (CAPPMA) and WWF China to help the world’s biggest grower of tilapia to operate in a more environmentally sustainable way.

(vasep.com.vn) The ceremony titled “Celebrating Vietnam Pangasius Sector Achieving Responsible Production Target in 2012” was organized on 21st November 2012 in Ho Chi Minh City in the purpose to celebrate the successful efforts and achievements made by the Vietnam pangasius sector in moving towards responsible aquaculture in compliance with the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) standards as well as to honor Vietnam’s first ASC-certified fish producers.

The European Commission has issued a warning to eight countries around the world that the commission feels have not done enough to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

This week the Chair of our Scientific Advisory Committee, Victor Restrepo, is in Singapore for his first Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Technical Advisory Board (TAB) meeting. Just a few months ago he accepted an appointment to serve a three-year term on the TAB, which “advises the MSC Board on technical and scientific matters” and, among other things, is responsible for helping develop the methodology that MSC uses for certification and accreditation, as well as reviewing the progress of fisheries towards the standards agreed upon as part of their certification.

The Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Indonesian Aquaculture Society, in which the two organisations will work collaboratively toward responsible aquaculture.

Oceana together with more than 500 chefs, restaurant owners and culinary leaders sent a letter this week to the US Government to require that “seafood is traceable in order to prevent seafood fraud and keep illegal fish out of the US market.”

Many fish caught off the coast of Fukushima are still showing high levels of radioactive cesium. This indicates that, since the catastrophic earthquake and tsunami that caused the nuclear disaster on 11 March 2011, the seafloor or leakage from the damaged reactors must still be contaminating the area – something that could affect fisheries for decades, a researcher warned.

Major fast-food player KFC takes its sustainable development commitment to a higher level by obtaining MSC (Marine Stewardship Council) certification. The fish KFC offers, which is 100 per cent pollock, is now from sustainable fishing. This initiative further underscores the chain's desire to ensure its products' quality, traceability and safety.