The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) has teamed up with the China Aquatic Products Processing and Marketing Alliance (CAPPMA) and WWF China to help the world’s biggest tilapia grower to operate more sustainably.
Tilapia is the second largest species of fish farmed worldwide and global production of farmed tilapia is almost 3 million metric tonnes a year, with 40% produced by China. China is the world’s biggest tilapia exporter, with over 50% of Chinese tilapia entering into the global market.
But there are two major challenges facing tilapia aquaculture in China. The first is a lack of transparency in the supply chain. Without access to sufficient information on issues such as traceability, hygienic regulation and environmental management, the confidence of consumers in the industry and its products will be lower than desirable. The second is the known weakness of the production system in some Chinese tilapia farms where unsustainable practices such as poorly managed chemical use, pollution to waterways, species invasion and conversion of natural wetlands is known to exist.
This initiative will tackle these problems and help to drive the Chinese tilapia aquaculture industry towards a more sustainable basis. With a grant of €1 million from the EU-China Environmental Governance Programme, the action will engage tilapia aquaculture enterprises in China proactively and promote more sustainable practices. In addition, it will also enable public access to information on the tilapia supply chain, raise consumer awareness and advise the government of China on sustainable fish farming policies.
