MyGAP: Malaysia's gift to seafood world

Abstract

Globalization, consumer expectations, sustainability of food production and sanitary and phytosanitary control measures from importing countries have been identified as a major challenge for the development of the aquaculture industry in the world. Currently, international trade trend has focusing to the production of safe for human consumption aquaculture products and produce which avoids the deterioration of the quality and sustainability of the environment. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization has published Aquaculture Certification Technical Guidelines in 2011 as a general global guidance for Good Aquaculture Practice certification. Malaysia has implemented the Certification of Good Aquaculture Practices in 2004 and has national standards since 2007 when Malaysia's Standard (MS 1998: 2007) General Guidelines for Good Aquaculture Practices was officially publish for certification reference. Certification in Good Aquaculture Practices Malaysia requires farm owner to compulsorily participate in the National Aquaculture Residue Monitoring Program to verify aquaculture products from certified premises to be safe for human consumption and free from harmful contaminants. In 2017, the standards were revised to comply with ASEAN Good Aquaculture Practices (ASEAN GAqP) requirements.