PART II: PROPOSED ACTIVITIES FOR YEAR 2015
IV. Annual progress meeting and international workshop International workshop
5.3 Project Outcomes and Lesson Learned Project is still in progress
5.4 Major Impacts/Issues
No major issues in the project implementation in 2014.
PART IV: EVALUATION 6. Project Evaluation
Table 8 Project Evaluation (for annual, mid-term, and end of project)
Evaluation Criteria From Project Leader
Views %
How were inputs and activities converted to results?
The course has trained participants on the use of chemical-based instrument based techniques for biotoxins analyses through a series of lectures and hands-on practical sessions which the participants had found very useful and beneficial to their area of work. The participants gained knowledge and skills in the analyses of these biotoxins and will be able to set up these methods to upgrade their laboratory capabilities to conduct the biotoxins analyses.
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80 How well did the
Results contribute to the Achievement of the project purpose/
objectives?
The training course has contributed to the project’s objective of upgrading regional laboratory capabilities and credibility in biotoxins analyses as well as the capability to establish biotoxins monitoring programmes for routine surveillance in Member Countries.
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Which has benefited on society and sector?
The key beneficiaries are the relevant agencies in the fisheries department of the ASEAN-SEAFDEC Member Countries which are responsible for ensuring the safety of fish and shellfish for consumption and for monitoring and testing of fish and shellfish; the aquaculture farmers and harvesters of the fish and shellfish; as well as the international and domestic consumers/buyers.
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Have products and benefits been maintained?
Project still in progress. -
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Appendix 7 of Annex 4 PROJECT DOCUMENT
ACHIEVEMENTS FOR YEAR 2014
Project id: 03201002 Program Categories: Programs under the ASEAN-SEAFDEC FCG/ASSP Mechanism
Project Title: Traceability Systems for Aquaculture Products in the ASEAN Region
Program Thrust: II Total Duration: 2010-2014
Lead Department: MFRD Programmes Lead Country: Singapore
Project Sponsor: Japanese Trust Fund V Project Partner: Post-Harvest Technology Centre, Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (PHTC/AVA) Proposed Budget: USD 152,618 This year budget: [2014] USD 24,500 Prepared by Loh Tunxi, Felicia, Scientist
(PHTC/AVA); Yeap Soon Eong, Chief of MFRD Programmes
Project Leader
Loh Tunxi, Felicia, Scientist (PHTC/AVA)
1. INTRODUCTION/BACKGROUND
Traceability has become a major concern of the aquaculture industry, especially since it has become a legitimate requirement in major international markets such as the EU and the US. Furthermore as aquaculture production becomes more market and consumer driven, the greatest pressure for product traceability has been coming from the general public. Consumers are getting more and more concerned on what they eat – whether the food comes from a safe and sustainable source, and whether production, transportation, and storage conditions can guarantee food safety.
The Codex Alimentarius Commission (2004) defines traceability or product tracing as “The ability to follow the movement of a food through specified stage(s) of production, processing and distribution”. In an increasingly competitive food system, traceability has become a major tool in dealing with concerns of food safety, quality assurance, risk prevention, and gaining consumer trust. Traceability can be used to achieve different purposes or objectives, such as for food safety, bio-security and regulatory requirements or to ensure quality and other contractual requirements. For instance, external traceability allows the tracking of a product and/or attribute(s) of that product through the successive stages of the distribution chain (from farm to fork), while internal traceability (or enterprise traceability) is aimed at productivity improvement and cost reduction within a production unit (e.g. fish plant). Governments and organizations around the world have also been developing different systems on seafood traceability e.g TraceFish (EU), TraceShrimp (Thailand).
In this project, the stakeholders would consist of the ASEAN member countries namely: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Some countries in the ASEAN region which are major exporters of seafood have begun implementation of traceability systems for their aquaculture products such as Thailand (shrimps) and Vietnam (catfish).
However, with increasing requirements for traceability in the international seafood markets, there is an urgent need for all countries in the region to implement traceability systems in their aquaculture industry so as to comply with the regulations of the importing countries. In addition, domestic consumers in the region who are becoming more affluent and educated also demand that a higher level of food safety and quality in their seafood. In view of these developments, MFRD has proposed a project on traceability for aquaculture products in the ASEAN region to provide a platform for the sharing of information and experiences among the ASEAN member countries on traceability systems to better enable the regional aquaculture industries to implement appropriate traceability systems in aquaculture products and to meet international traceability requirements in the network of aquaculture production, marketing, and trade.
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The project is in line with the following Resolution and Plan of Action as endorsed at the ASEAN- SEAFDEC Conference of 2011:
Resolution 19: Support the competitiveness of the ASEAN fish trade through the development of procedures and programmes that would certify, validate or otherwise indicate the origin of fish to reflect the need for traceability, sustainable fishing practices and food safety, in accordance with international and national requirements.
Plan of Action D60: Develop traceability systems, with mechanisms as needed to certify or validate the information, for the whole supply chain, and establish regulations and enforcement schemes in line with international standards. Align Member Countries’ inspection systems and incorporate strengthened port inspections in the process as a means to improve inspection systems.
Plan of Action D63: Promote and conduct training programs and develop training materials to upgrade the technical skills and competencies of personnel in the public and private sectors on fisheries post- harvest technology and food safety management system.
This project is also in line with the SEAFDEC Program Thrust II: Enhancing Capacity & Competitiveness to Facilitate International and Intra-regional Trade.
2. PROJECT
2.1 Goal/Overall Objectives and Performance Indicators
The goal of the project is to enhance the competitiveness of the region’s aquaculture products through the implementation of traceability in the aquaculture production and supply chain. The objectives of the project are to:
1. Provide a platform for the sharing of information and experiences among ASEAN member countries on implementation of traceability systems for aquaculture products in the region as well as an overview of the status of implementation of traceability systems in the aquaculture industries in the ASEAN Region; and
2. Enhance regional capability on implementation of traceability systems for aquaculture products and promote their implementation in the region.
The performance indicators of the project are the development of regional guidelines on traceability system for aquaculture products in South East Asia and the establishment of traceability programmes for aquaculture products in member countries especially those which do not yet have such programmes in place.