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This October, 22 hectares of Quoc Viet’s shrimp ponds were certified meeting the challenging environmental and social standards of ASC.

Quoc Viet, one of Vietnam’s biggest shrimp exporters in Cau Mau, has made big efforts to address the environmental and social challenges and thus achieving ASC standards. The company started its business in 1996 and aims to produce 20,000 metric tonnes of shrimp this year. It plans to scale up its production to 25,000 metric tonnes by 2015 to supply customers across US, Japan, EU, Australia, Canada and Korea.

Quoc Viet is one of the many companies that WWF-Vietnam, in co-operation with IDH, is working with to support towards ASC certification. These companies are also sourcing shrimp from local small scale farms who aim to achieve ASC certification in the future, with support of WWF-Vietnam. Through this co-operation, WWF helps farmers to improve their operations and capacity to achieve ASC certification.

By the end of this year, it is estimated that 3 more farms with 150 hectares will receive ASC certification. Over the coming years, WWF will continue to support 4 more companies and 4 small scale farmer groups to achieve ASC certification.

ASC – an entry to European market

Vietnam is the third biggest exporter of farmed shrimp globally with around 90 per cent of its total volume exported.

“There are many shrimp farms found in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta, especially since the eighties which saw rapid growth in Vietnam’s shrimp production. This has resulted in serious impacts to the environment, especially from the small scale shrimp farms,” said Ngo Tien Chuong, Aquaculture Programme Coordinator, WWF-Vietnam.

“With ASC certification the farms can gain access to the international market and, in particular, the European countries that demand responsibly produced and certified products.” said Esther Luiten, ASC’s Commercial Marketing Manager.

So far, 13 shrimp farms, from Vietnam and Ecuador, have entered the programme.

ASC Shrimp Standard

Shrimp farms have been able to enter ASC assessment since the shrimp standard and audit manual were finalised in March 2014. Certifiers were trained on the standard in December last year.

Through ASC certification, shrimp farms aim to measurably reduce adverse impacts on the environment and local communities by preserving wetlands and mangroves; addressing the transfer of viruses and reducing disease; bringing cleaner water and ensuring the sustainable use of water; ensuring the responsible use of feed; and addressing biodiversity issues.

Support

WWF helps small scale farmers and producers to meet ASC’s standards through its aquaculture improvement projects, by helping them to improve their operations and capacity. When farms have met the ASC standards WWF links them to companies in the market that value ASC certification.

IDH established the Farmers in Transition (FIT) fund, a co-funding programme aimed at upscaling the production of responsibly farmed shrimp, tilapia and pangasius. The programme partners with retail, food service and supply chain companies to support producers in improving their farming practice and actively engages governments, industry and other stakeholders in the countries of production.