Twelve Taiwan tilapia farms and two processing plants belonging to Tainan City’s Nan Ying Aquaculture Association have been certified by the Aquaculture Stewardship Council, according to the Council of Agriculture Fisheries Agency April 21.
“Only 24 tilapia farms worldwide have passed the ASC’s stringent requirements, and Nan Ying accounts for half of them,” Agriculture Minister Chen Bao-ji said at a ceremony on the Tainan campus of Aletheia University.
“Once again Taiwan’s agriculture has shown its prowess on the global stage.”
The ASC’s Tilapia Standard covers compliance with national and local regulations, sustainable management of habitat and biodiversity, water conservation, protection of species diversity, responsible use of feed resources, fish health and welfare, and labor rights, with 61 individual criteria, all of which must be passed for certification, the agency said.
The association began vertical integration last year under the guidance of the agency, and with ASC certification now constitutes a complete supply chain from fish production to processing. The Nan Ying businesses are the first in Taiwan to qualify.
Taiwan produces 60,000-70,000 metric tons of tilapia annually, with 60 percent exported. ASC certification will be a boost for the marketing of Taiwan tilapia, especially with major retailers supporting sustainable agriculture, such as Netherlands-based supermarket group Koninklijke Ahold NV; seafood supplier Anova Food LLC; Metro AG, the world’s fourth largest retailer; and The Kroger Co., the biggest U.S. supermarket chain.
The ASC was founded in 2009 by the World Wildlife Fund and Sustainable Trade Initiative to promote responsible aquaculture practices and provide third party assurance of conformity with production and chain of custody standards. (THN)
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