Six Tra fish processing firms have received certificates of the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) for sustainable development at a conference held in Ho Chi Minh City on November 21.

This is expected to open up the door to new markets for Vietnamese fish exporters since importers and consumers have now paid more attention to quality and social responsibility, the head of the ASC, Chris Ninnes said.

ASC certification recognises and rewards farms that are following responsible practices, including conservation of water resources, no misuse of antibiotics, responsible use of feed, and behaving in a socially responsible manner.

The six firms are Vĩnh Hoàn Corp, Hùng V ươ ng Corp, Hoàng Long, Vinh Quang, NTACO and Anvifish. Together they account for 10 percent of the national Tra fish output this year.
The Tra industry will achieve its target of 10 percent of output meeting ASC standards by the end of this year, industry insiders said.
More than 90 percent of world exports of Tra fish is sourced from Vietnam , which exports 650,000 tonnes of the fish annually.-VNA