The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) has certified more than 100 farms in just over two years, a milestone marking the organization’s rapid growth since its inception in 2012. In the last year alone the number of farms in the program has doubled.
By the end of 2013 there were 57 ASC-certified farms; the first were Regal Springs’ Toba and Kedung Ombo tilapia farms in August 2012. There are now 116 certified farm facilities growing tilapia, pangasius, bivalves, abalone, salmon, trout and shrimp.
Consumers in 40 countries can now choose from almost 1,500 ASC-certified products. In the last year alone ASC has seen a 148 percent increase in approved products, up from 602 at the end of November 2013.
The growing engagement of farms has been matched by commitments from influential seafood buyers, with world events such as the Rio 2016 Olympic Games pledging to source seafood from ASC-certified farms. The commitment of retailers and seafood brands has also been particularly strong. All Dutch retailers have aligned themselves to only sourcing ASC-certified seafood, while an additional 15 retailers and seafood brands in Europe and six globally are committed to supplying ASC-certified products.
Just over a year ago, more than 70 percent of the farmed salmon industry pledged to significantly improve their environmental and social impacts. The Global Salmon Initiative (GSI) committed to achieving ASC certification by 2020; there are now 18 ASC-certified GSI-member farms.
And, this year, the Belize Shrimp Growers Association has been preparing member farms, representing 67 percent of Belizean shrimp farms and 90 percent of total farmed shrimp production in Belize, to enter assessment against the ASC shrimp standard. The first farm audits took place recently and draft reports are expected in January.
“Aquaculture production is expected to continue growing by over 4 percent a year until 2022, according to the latest FAO report. This rapid increase can bring problems — the faster the aquaculture industry grows, the greater its potential impact on the environment and local communities. Now is the time to address this,” said ASC CEO Chris Ninnes.
“Aquaculture can meet the growing demand for seafood and through the work of programs like the ASC we seek to help industry do that responsibly. It is fantastic to see large parts of the industry putting aside competition to collaborate on improvements, moving the industry towards sustainability.”
