During a meeting held on May 27 between the Thai Department of Fisheries, the Thai Feedmill Association, the Thai Fishmeal Association and the International Fishmeal and Fish Oil Organization, members agreed that a Thai industry and government round table would be formed to drive improvements in fishery management. The round table would also identify fishmeal plants that would enter assessment for the International Fishmeal and Fish Oil Organization Responsible Supply certificate.
Stakeholders present recognized the need to demonstrate responsible fishmeal production following concerns raised by customers, non-governmental organizations and media over unsustainable fishing in the region and the sustainability of raw material entering fishmeal production. Having presented the Responsible Supply certification scheme at the meeting, members agreed those seeking certification would demonstrate the use of responsibly-sourced raw materials and good factory management, including full traceability and exclusion of illegal, unregulated and unreported fish. A further roundtable meeting is being planned for July.
Nearly 60 percent, or 180,000 tons, of the fishmeal produced in Thailand comes from recycled seafood processing trimmings. The first phase of certification will focus on fishmeal produced from these trimmings. A second phase will focus on whole fish raw material once guidance on tropical mixed trawl fisheries is available. To enter assessment for the Responsible Supply standard, companies must apply for the International Fishmeal and Fish Oil Organization membership.
The International Fishmeal and Fish Oil Organization reports that Charoen Pokhpand Foods Ltd., a producer of feed in South East Asia and China and a stakeholder in the Thai round table, has already decided to join the organization with a plan to enter one or more of its plants for certification.
