ASEM/SEAT at 9th AFAF, Shangahi
Posted on July 25, 2011 by admin
ASEM/SEAT hold Special Session: Strengthening European-Asian partnerships at the 9th Asian Fisheries and Aquaculture Forum, Shangahi Ocean University, April 22nd 2011.
A joint session was held between the ASEM (ASian European Meeting) Aquaculture Platform and representatives of the Sustainable Ethical Aquaculture Trade (SEAT) Project during the 9th Asian Fisheries and Aquaculture Forum hosted by the Shanghai Ocean University in April. Over 50 participants attended this meeting allowing a valuable opportunity for producers, processors and traders to interact with researchers currently engaged at the forefront of Asian aquaculture and to shape future policy. The session featured four presentations followed by a discussion chaired by David Little and Patrick Sorgeloos.
The session began with an introduction to the SEAT project by Francis Murray from the University of Stirling. As well as giving an overview of SEAT’s scope he also provided an update of its current status. Now 2 years into the project the conclusion of the scoping phase of the four farmed commodities i.e. shrimp, prawn, pangasius and tilapia in the four countries i.e. China, Vietnam, Thailand and Bangladesh using Life Cycle analysis as a core tool has shaped a research framework that encompasses the variability of the dynamic and rapidly evolving aquaculture production systems. Murray explained that this ‘global value-chain approach’ has proved essential in unifying the multiple aspects of sustainability that the project is attempting to understand.
This was followed by a presentation by Jean Dhont from the Ghent University introducing the concepts behind the ASEM Aquaculture Platform. Established in 2003 as an EU-Asia framework, the role of the ASEM Platform is to encourage dialogue and networking for sustainable aquaculture development. Members range from scientists, traders, producers and policy-makers to consumers and represent over 30 international universities and research institutes as well as governmental and inter-governmental organisations and individual companies. Dhont explained the common denominator of the Platform’s actions as a concerted effort to initiate joint EU-Asia processes which impact on research excellence, ultimately contributing in a realistic and effective way to good production practice, improved governance, fair trade, social equity and overall sustainability in aquaculture development. He also highlighted the rapid growth in recent years of aquaculture production in Asian countries and the increasing dependence on this imported aquaculture-derived seafood by the EU whilst at the same time stressed the importance of reconciling mutual Asian-European interests in production and consumption through dialogue focusing on a common research strategy.
Patrick Sorgeloos spoke on issues of traceability, regulatory conflicts and quality controls with reference to recent alleged contamination of shipments of shrimp with SEM (Semicarbazide) from Bangladesh to the EU. Whilst Rapid Alerts for contamination of shipments of imported seafood can lead to an improvement in quality control systems, as in the specific case of Bangladesh, at the same time caution should be taken in the interpretation of too rigorous analytic testing methods and the resulting negative impact on trade.
Finally Dave Little of Stirling University gave a current overview of recent media coverage of pangasius imports into the EU entitled ‘Whitefish wars: who will win and why it matters?’ As the title suggested an increasingly acrimonious debate concerning the environmental and social standards of pangasius imports from Vietnam into Europe has raised substantial concerns about the product’s safety, the welfare standards of those working in the industry and also the impact of this trade upon existing European livelihoods based on fisheries and aquaculture. The negative impact of such criticism are far reaching and could seriously affect future trade. Little used the example of the recent visit by MEP Struan Stevenson, Vice President of the European Parliament’s Fisheries Committee, to the Institute of Aquaculture following his very vocal attacks on the Vietnamese pansasius industry. The briefing by the SEAT team at Stirling University resulted in a complete rescind of Stevenson’s criticism and left him in no doubt that pangasius production in Vietnam should be praised for its ‘world-class welfare and hygiene standards and producing a quality product under first-rate conditions’.
