IFFO, GAA to study fishmeal supply in Southeast Asia

The Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA) and IFFO, the Marine Ingredients Organization, are teaming up on a study aimed to improve how Southeast Asia fisheries are supplying raw material for fishmeal production, the two organizations announced at the SeaWeb Seafood Summit in Seattle, Washington, U.S.A. on 5 June.

“Although the raw material supply for fishmeal production globally comes in the main from well-managed fisheries and byproduct, it is recognized that there are some environmental and social challenges with the sourcing of raw material in Southeast Asia,” IFFO Director General Andrew Mallison said. “As demand for responsibly produced fishmeal in this region is increasing, IFFO welcomes the opportunity to work with the GAA in addressing where the constraints to responsible production lie, and look at how these may be addressed to promote change in the region.”

The study, primarily focusing on Thailand and Vietnam, is meant to support change in fisheries management in the region and driving the adoption of certification in the supply chain, “which will ultimately support the development of best practice in aquaculture,” according to a statement from GAA and IFFO.

“If aquaculture facilities are to be able to meet the market demands, then improvements need to be made in this region in order to fill the gap between available, certifiable, fish-feed inputs and demand,” the statement said.

Feed suppliers, NGOs, governments, standard holders and other stakeholders will be invited to participate in the study, which will start in July. It is expected to run for 18 months. This will be the first phase of work to build a base of information for further projects, according to the two groups.