Aquaculture and the production of Food Fish for local consumption and international trade is becoming very important to the economies of many developing countries in Southeast Asia, some of which have become leading exporting nations both to other countries in the region and to international markets. Six countries in Southeast Asia including Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam, all but ranked among the top twenty five countries in terms of aquaculture volume. Cambodia, with its productive inland fisheries was also ranked amongst this list. Aquaculture in the Southeast Asian countries is not only important because of its contribution to food security and nutrition but it is an important component of the economic fabric that supports the country social development. Many AMS depend heavily on the fisheries sub-sector as a major contributor to national and regional social and economic development with the income generated and a large number of the work force employed in it.

As ASEAN progresses to a single economy it is essential that uniform guidelines and standards are introduced across the AMS. This means that a set agreed guideline needs to be in place so that existing GAqP can have a point of harmonisation.