On October 9, 2025, the ASEAN-JICA Food Value Chain Development Project (AJFVC) successfully concluded a train-the-trainer workshop on fishery products hygiene management and cold chain management at Nanyang Polytechnic in Singapore. This four-day training was part of the AJFVC Output 3, specifically focusing on improving good aquaculture practices among ASEAN Member States (AMSs), and was conducted with support from the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center – Marine Fisheries Research Department (SEAFDEC/MFRD) and Nanyang Polytechnic, Singapore.

The workshop aimed to boost hygiene practices and enhance knowledge of Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), Good Handling Practice (GHP), and Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) implementation across the region. It also emphasized the adoption of Cold Chain Management Guidelines for seafood, which were officially endorsed during the 41st Meeting of ASEAN Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry in 2019.

Twenty participants from AMSs took part in the program, which combined lectures with practical site visits to fishery processing facilities. The program effectively addressed the varying levels of implementation across AMSs. For several countries with well-established systems, the workshop served as a valuable refresher and opportunity to share best practices, while for others, it provided essential foundational knowledge for developing their hygiene management and cold chain frameworks.

One of the key takeaways was that the trained participants will now serve as expert trainers in their respective countries, creating a network of regional expertise in seafood handling and processing. As key resource persons in their nations, they will build capacity within local fisheries industries, strengthen the implementation of HACCP, GMP, and GHP standards, and promote the adoption of Regional Guidelines on Cold Chain Management of Seafood through training activities.

Looking forward, participants are expected to take actionable steps aligned with their personalized action plans in their respective countries. The outcomes of these initiatives will be reviewed during the final virtual workshop to ensure ongoing progress and collaboration among all stakeholders in strengthening regional cooperation on fishery products hygiene management and cold chain systems, ultimately contributing to enhanced food safety, quality, and competitiveness of ASEAN’s fisheries sector.