Spotlight
Advancing Responsible and Sustainable Aquaculture for Resilient Supply Chains: Examples from the ASEAN Seaweed and Shrimp Industries
ORGANIZED BY
SEAFDEC, Monterey Bay Aquarium
16-Sep
10:00-10:30
Conference Room 3
This session explores how responsible business conduct support safer working conditions and gender equity in seaweed production, and how alternative verification models unlock premium market opportunities in shrimp aquaculture. It offers insights for strengthening resilience and rights across aquaculture sectors.
Overview
This session explores two important seafood commodities in the ASEAN region: seaweed and shrimp. The first part of the session examines how the seaweed industry, with the right interventions, can demonstrate how resilient blue economies are achieved when sustainability is paired with social justice, inclusion, and rights based approaches. The second part of the session focuses on small scale shrimp producers, who are often excluded from premium international markets because existing sustainability assurance mechanisms are too complex and costly. A credible alternative, verification, is presented, along with real world examples showing how it expands market access, strengthens supply chain resilience, and supports more responsible practices.
Why it matters
This matters because both sectors show that resilience in blue economies depends not only on environmental sustainability but also on fair market access, safe working conditions, and inclusive, rights based practices that ensure small scale producers and coastal communities can genuinely benefit.
Who should attend?
Aquaculture and agriculture industry partners, industry associations, academics, UN agencies, government agencies’ aquaculture directorates/divisions
What participants will gain
How market influence impacts sustainability practices
Practical examples of interventions that can make seaweed value chains more equitable and rights based.
How verification offers a credible, accessible alternative to certification, with real‑world evidence from ASEAN contexts.
Aisah Nur Alifia
Senior Fellow, Indonesia Program Manager, Monterey Bay Aquarium - Global Conservation Program
Aisah Nur Alifia is the Senior Fellow and Indonesia Program Manager at Monterey Bay Aquarium. She supports the implementation of responsible shrimp aquaculture initiatives in Indonesia by working with shrimp farmers, industry partners, government agencies, and local organizations. Her work includes conducting farm assessments, supporting improvement planning, facilitating stakeholder engagement, and contributing to the development of practical tools and resources for sustainable aquaculture.
Aisah has a background in fisheries and aquaculture and is particularly interested in sustainable shrimp farming, seafood sustainability, and the implementation of responsible aquaculture practices. Through her work, she aims to translating sustainability standards into practical actions that are relevant and achievable for farmers and other stakeholders, helping improve the long-term resilience of Indonesia's shrimp sector.
Muhamad Nour
Project Manager/Technical Advisor, SEAFDEC Blue Horizon Seaweed Project
Muhamad Nour is the Project Manager and Technical Advisor of the Blue Horizon: Ocean Relief through Seaweed Aquaculture Project at the SEAFDEC Secretariat in Bangkok, leading a regional initiative to promote sustainable seaweed value chains in Southeast Asia. Previously, he worked with the International Labour Organization (ILO) in Jakarta, where he supported programmes addressing forced labour in the fishing sector, promoted the implementation of ILO Convention No. 188 through labour inspections on fishing vessels, and contributed to strengthening fisheries governance through Port State Measures (PSM) inspections to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. He has extensive experience in marine resource management, labour governance, and regional cooperation across Southeast Asia.