As announced on 26 January, EcoFish has successfully achieved certification from the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) as it related to chain of custody.
Founded in 1999, EcoFish has long been a pioneer in the realm of sustainability initiatives, even becoming the Marine Stewardship Council’s first certified seafood distributor for wild fish in the United States, circa 2001. With its new Chain of Custody (CoC) distinction from ASC, the company can assure customers that its farmed seafood products originate from certified facilities. By way of CoC certification, buyers can “make credible claims of the responsibly farmed origin of their seafood to their customers,” according to ASC.
First up to sport the new ASC label will be Ecuadorian farmed shrimp from EcoFish’s retail brand Henry & Lisa’s Natural Seafood, which is sold in over 4,000 grocery stores nationwide; the brand’s shrimp happens to have been raised on the first ASC certified shrimp farm in the world.
“EcoFish is thrilled to have the highly credible ASC vetting fish farming operations for responsible methods, and is honored to be part of their program. The ASC fills a very important void for producers and consumers wishing to procure the most responsibly farmed seafood available. More than half of the seafood consumed in the world today is from farms; so this is a commitment every seafood company should be making, to assure plentiful, safe and healthy seafood for future generations,” said Henry Lovejoy, President and Founder of EcoFish, on the certification achievement.
“We are pleased that EcoFish has earned ASC certification. Their commitment to the programme is a testament to their longstanding and extensive record of good environmental stewardship. The ASC logo will give EcoFish customers confidence that their seafood comes from certified responsible farms with the highest standards for social and environmental protection,” added Esther Luiten, Senior Commercial Marketing Manager for ASC.
