Since its launch in the summer of 2012, the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) has welcomed 50 salmon farms into its certification scheme.
ASC CEO Chris Ninnes said that with the continued commitment from the Global Salmon Initiative (GSI), the program is set to grow.
“I am delighted with the tremendous growth of our salmon programme. This achievement is thanks to the contribution of our partners who have been supporting the ASC since the beginning,” said Chris Ninnes, ASC’s CEO.
“Not only have we seen a great number of farms certified against the standard since its launch. There are also close to 600 approved salmon products carrying the ASC logo for responsible salmon aquaculture worldwide.”
Currently, 28 farms around the world meet the requirements of the ASC salmon standard, representing a production value of nearly 100,000 metric tons (MT). An additional 22 farms are awaiting the outcome of their assessment against the standard. The farms are spread over four continents and countries including Australia, Canada, Chile and Norway.
GSI, comprised of 17 member companies that represent over 70 percent of the global salmon production, has committed to certifying all of its member farms to the ASC standard by 2020.
“Choosing the ASC standard as a benchmark for our progress was a well-considered decision for GSI, but more importantly it’s a decision which represents a monumental move for the industry that will forever change the way we operate,” José Ramón Gutiérrez, Executive President, Multiexport Foods.
