Celebrating Vietnamese Seafood & Lunar New Year

In Vietnam, Tết (Vietnamese Lunar New Year) is largely a time for family gatherings and the joy of sharing meals with loved ones. Whilst seafood plays an important role in the culinary celebrations, did you know that Vietnamese seafood exports also play a significant role worldwide, notably regarding the availability of ASC labelled responsibly farmed prawns and Basa?

In Vietnam there are currently:

• Over 300 ASC certified prawn farm sites
• Over 50 ASC certified pangasius farm sites
• Over 73,000 metric tonnes of ASC certified prawns produced annually
• Almost 85,000 metric tonnes of ASC certified pangasius produced annually

To mark this very important date on the Vietnamese calendar, we asked Nina what Tết means to her and why she cares about responsible sourcing. Here’s what she had to say.

“Tết, or Lunar New Year, is a time for me to reconnect with my Vietnamese roots, celebrate family, and honour the traditions that shape my cooking. It’s about renewal, gratitude, and the joy of sharing meals with loved ones.

“The food we prepare during Tết carries deep meaning, symbolising prosperity, health, and harmony. For me, it’s a chance to blend traditional flavours with sustainable practices while keeping the spirit of abundance and community alive.

“Sustainability is essential to me because it’s about respecting the earth and the people who grow our food. By embracing responsible practices and a ‘no waste’ approach, I believe we can reduce waste, honour hard working farmers and producers, and create dishes that not only taste great but also support a healthier planet. It’s a reflection of my Vietnamese heritage, where resourcefulness and respect for food are at the heart of everything I do.”

Why Nina was a perfect match for ASC

In 2025, Nina launched Pho & Femme – a series of pop-up cooking events focused on women’s stories, Vietnamese heritage and sustainability. The cooking events pay homage to the women who have shaped the culture, the food, and the future. Through her work, Nina continues to honour her Vietnamese heritage while pushing the boundaries of sustainable fine dining.

In aquauculture women represent the dominant proportion of the labour force estimated at 70%. With Nina’s passion for sustainability and women’s stories, this felt like a great alignment of values for a committed collaboration.

How ASC Standards support aquaculture workers around the world

The farmed seafood industry is growing at a speedy pace internationally and, with more than half of all seafood eaten globally coming from aquaculture, it is more important than ever for responsible practices to be implemented.

As well as Farm Management, Environmental Responsibility and Fish Welfare, ASC includes Social Responsibility as a core component of our robust Standards.

Our certification programme includes comprehensive human rights requirements, and produces tangible economic benefits for farms and workers, including increased prices and improved profitability, as well as fostering positive environmental practices and enhancing working conditions. It empowers farmers to not only enhance their own practices but also positively impact the communities they are part of.

We envisage an aquaculture sector where employees and communities have a decent quality of life. It is our mission to respect and promote the human rights of those who work in aquaculture, or live in surrounding communities, and improve their wellbeing.

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