The clam farming sector of the Mekong Delta’s Ben Tre province has received the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification for the third time for meeting its sustainability and management standards, according to the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The certification is valid from May 23, 2024 to May 22, 2029.

The clam fishery of Ben Tre became the first in Southeast Asia to attain the MSC certification in 2009 and was re-certified in 2016, according to a press release by the MSC.

The traditional technique for harvesting Asiatic hard clams by hand from the shores does not disturb other species, the area’s biodiversity or the delicate ecosystem, it said.

Widely recognized as the world’s most credible sustainability assessment of wild capture fish and seafood, the MSC Fishery Standard is founded on three principles: healthy stocks, minimizing impact on the marine environment, and effective fishery management.

The certificate will help Ben Tre to expand export markets, according to the provincial department.

It also demonstrated the great efforts and consensus of the communities of the province's three coastal districts of Ba Tri, Binh Dai and Thanh Phu in jointly exploiting and managing the clam farming sector.

Ben Tre has over 2,800 ha of clam farming managed by seven cooperatives and clam businesses, creating jobs for thousands of local workers.