In another example of ASEAN’s
private sector moving ahead with ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) integration efforts. Seafood associations in ASEAN have drafted an
“ASEAN Shrimp Farming Standard” for the shrimp industry, a major industry in
Southeast Asia, as reported here:
A steering
committee of 14 industry and non-government stakeholders designed the draft
standard to be a workable tool for the shrimp industry in ASEAN to improve the
sustainability, environmental and social performance of farming, especially at
the small-scale, and receive recognition in key export markets.
The draft
standard complements existing national good aquaculture practices and aims to
align with internationally accepted environmental and social standards,
including the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch® Programme sustainability
assessment criteria and the Aquaculture Stewardship Council standards.
The process
for developing the Shrimp Standard for ASEAN aims to align with the
ISEAL Alliance’s globally recognised guidelines for setting environment
and social standards.
The draft
standard is split into farm, hatchery and feed mill standards which cover
traceability, shrimp health, sustainable stock sourcing, sustainable feed
sourcing, environmental impact management and good labour management.
Unusually
for an ASEAN industry-wide effort, the draft standard’s organizers have posted
the draft standard on the internet and requested public comment via the internet. Comments can be posted here
and are due by October 10.
Usually
ASEAN-wide industry efforts are at an elite level, such as the ASEAN Cosmetics Directive. That effort resulted from the joint efforts
of national-level cosmetics associations over 10+ years. Only
after that long and sustained effort did the ASEAN member states adopt the
Cosmetics Directive on a region-wide basis.
Hopefully
this more open, broader approach to ASEAN industry wide standardization efforts
will be repeated more often, as it will increase the “buy in” by local
companies and convince ASEAN member states of the need to adopt such
standards. Broader, public efforts may
be easier for industries such as seafood which are export-oriented (e.g.,
focused on extra-ASEAN exports) and not dependent on intra-ASEAN competition,
which will give rise to conflicts within the region. Nevertheless, private sector-initiated
efforts like the Shrimp Farming Standard and the Cosmetics Directive will have
a greater chance of adoption within the industry and by the ASEAN member
states.
