December 14, 2012
China Tilapia production to benefit from organisational partnership
The Aquaculture Stewardship Council will be working with the China Aquatic Products Processing and Marketing Alliance (CAPPMA) and WWF China, on improving environmental sustainability of the country's Tilapia production.
This has been made possible by a grant from the EU.
Tilapia is the second largest species of fish farmed (after carp) worldwide. Global production of farmed tilapia is almost three million tonnes a year, with 40% produced by China. Four southern provinces, Hainan, Guangdong, Guangxi, and Fujian, account for about 90% of China's total production.
China is the world's biggest tilapia exporter, with over 50% of Chinese tilapia entering into the global market. The EU is currently the third largest importer of Chinese tilapia, with a share of around 10%. An increasing number of European consumers are buying tilapia and the EU is a growing market for Chinese tilapia. However, 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.
The ASC partnership with CAPPMA and WWF China will tackle these problems and help to drive the Chinese Tilapia aquaculture industry towards a more sustainable basis. 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.
