The Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC) is a technical organization dedicated to the accelerated development of fisheries in the region. Some countries in the ASEAN region that are major seafood exporters, such as Thailand (shrimp) and Vietnam (catfish), have started implementing traceability systems for their aquaculture products. In light of these developments, the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC), under its Marine Fisheries Research Division (MFRD) programmes, initiated and implemented a project on traceability for aquaculture products in the ASEAN region.
The project aims to increase the competitiveness of ASEAN aquaculture products by introducing a traceability system in the aquaculture production and supply chain. The main output of the project is these regional guidelines on a traceability system for aquaculture products in the ASEAN region, developed in consultation with ASEAN-SEAFDEC member countries. Most ASEAN Member States set prerequisites for the use of traceability in their aquaculture industry.
Relevant documents, namely the Movement Document (MD) used in the aquaculture supply chain for traceability management can be adjusted. The generic aquaculture supply chain has been developed from two rounds of consultations with ASEAN member countries.
Acronyms, Terms and Definitions
Internal traceability refers to the ability to keep track of what happens to a product, its ingredients and its packaging within a company or production facility. External traceability refers to the ability to track what happens to a product, its ingredients and its packaging throughout or part of a supply chain outside the company or production facility. The intermediaries collect and purchase aquaculture products from farms or fishermen and sell them to fishery processing plants or retailers at different stages of the supply chain.
Traceability refers to the ability to follow the movement of an aquaculture product through specific stage(s) of production, processing and distribution (CODEX). There should be no other trading units sharing the same number along the supply chain of the aquaculture products. Trading units can be identified based on information recorded along the supply chain when stakeholders bring in stocks of aquaculture products and further trade their immediate products.
This refers to the forward direction in distribution along the supply chain that would ultimately reach the final consumer.4. 6 Adapted in part from: [FAO, Implementation of the International Plan of Action to Deter, Prevent and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing, International Plan of Action - IUU, 2002, http://www.fao.org/docrep/ 005/y3536e/ y3536e00.htm#Contents].
Traceability Principles
Advantages of Traceability Implementation
Types of Traceability Systems
A barcode system is a more common form of electronic traceability system used along the supply chain of aquaculture products. This form of traceability system is fast and efficient as data can be easily logged into and retrieved from a computer database. In addition, this system does not require a lot of storage space, unlike a paper-based traceability system.
Unlike barcodes affixed to a product's packaging, which is exposed to the environment, RFID tags are typically embedded in the product's packaging. Barcode labels on packaging can be easily damaged and cause inaccuracies in data capture. On the other hand, a pallet full of products with embedded RFID tags can be read by an automated reader with a single scan.
However, a disadvantage of the RFID system is that it is relatively expensive and may not be possible for small businesses to implement. With growing export requirements for efficiency and accuracy, a handful of ASEAN member states are moving steadily towards the use of electronic and computerized traceability systems. The "TraceShrimp" system used by Thailand's shrimp aquaculture industry is an example of such a system.
This system provides flexibility for tracking and maintaining electronic records of various stakeholders along the supply chain of aquaculture products. The TraceShrimp system acts as a platform for sharing product information and connects individual stakeholders through a secure and automated product tracking system as well as confidential online data exchanges within Thailand's shrimp industry. In general, the size of the company is the key factor that determines the type of traceability systems to be used.
Generating records and reports is fast and the format can be customized to suit particular situations.
Issues and Challenges
The aquaculture supply chain in the ASEAN region is characterized by the presence of numerous small-scale aquaculture farms with limited production capacity. This results in the need for central purchasing stations/collection centers or intermediaries to collect and mix aquaculture products from different small farms. Furthermore, some stakeholders, such as intermediaries, may be reluctant to share information (e.g. the origin of their raw materials) because they consider such information as trade secrets.
The presence of different stakeholders at every stage of the supply chain, including processing and free trade between them, results in the mixing of raw materials and final products. This forms a complex supply chain framework that makes it more difficult to implement the traceability system. Some ASEAN member states lack the necessary legal framework to implement traceability in the aquaculture industry.
Without the legal framework, various actors lack the motivation and incentive to implement the traceability system in their operations. For those concerned, the lack of guidance and technical assistance hinders the successful implementation of the traceability system. Furthermore, the document format for tracking and recording details of aquaculture products is not established, making it more difficult for small stakeholders to adopt the traceability system.
Recommendations
According to this legal framework, each of the stakeholders must be properly registered and licensed in order to participate in trade within the aquaculture supply chain. To support the enforcement of the new legal framework, it is important for the government to build its capacities (e.g. creating a department responsible for ensuring proper implementation, as well as conducting audits of traceability systems). In addition, it is also important to strengthen the national search and rescue system to provide adequate guidance to stakeholders.
Generic Supply Chain for Aquaculture Products (fish and
Regional Guidelines on Traceability System for
Aquaculture Products in ASEAN region
Food and Drug Administration, Hazard Analysis & Critical Control Points (HACCP), http://www.fda.gov/food/guidanceregulation/haccp/default.htm, 2013. 13] Implementation of the International Plan of Action for Deterrence, Prevention and Elimination Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing, FAO, International Plan of Action-IUU, http://www.fao.org/docrep/005/y3536e/y3536e00.htm#Contents, 2002.
Annex
List of Aquaculture Traceability Competent Authority in ASEAN
Department of Post-harvest Fisheries Technologies (DFPT), Fisheries Administration (FiA), Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MKGP).
