Omega-3 company Sinomega Biotech Engineering has been the first Chinese company certified Friend of the Sea. A vast number of Friend of the Sea certified fish can now be found in the Great Food Hall in Hong Kong. Great is a vast International Food Hall covering 34,500 square feet owned by the A.S. Watson Group located in the basement of the Pacific Place.
Some major Chinese Krill and Anchovies fleets are also under audit for Friend of the Sea certification. In the Chinese speaking Singapore, Cold Storage outlets now offer more than 10 sustainable seafood items, including red snapper from New Zealand and mussels from Australia. These items are identified by stickers marked "Friend of the Sea"
At the beginning of 2008, the Vietnamese artisanal fleet for cuttlefish and squid was the very first Asian origin gaining FOS certification. From that year on, the number of certified companies in the Asian and South East Asian countries has increased, now representing ca. 30 per cent of all FOS certified companies and a further increase is likely predictable. FOS label wide presence in this area, where seafood represents an essential ingredient of daily meals, confirms how sustainability is become a must also for producers in Asia.
Friend of the Sea will participate to three events to be held in Hong Kong at the beginning of September.
Paolo Bray will be a speaker at the Workshop 'The Future of Sustainable Seafood Certification in the Seafood Marketplace' to be held on the 5 September during the 10th Seafood Summit.
Friend of the Sea is also exhibiting from the 10 to the 13 September at the Asian Seafood Expo (Hall 5, Booth 305), an important international trade show for all business players operating in the Asia-Pacific market.
Finally, FOS Director Paolo Bray will introduce the FOS DAY Conference Hong Kong to be held on 10 September 2012 at 2 PM, at the Wharney Guang Dong Hotel. The half day event will include a presentation and update of the Friend of the Sea project and important testimonials. Retail chains and media will attend the event, which will be an opportunity for networking and meeting with new potential customers.
