A tilapia farm in Belize has become the first for the nation to achieve ASC certification.
The Fein Catch tilapia farmed earned recognition under the ASC Tilapia Standard for responsible aquaculture following an independent assessment conducted by Control Union Peru.
"I would like to congratulate Fein Catch on their certification. This is a great example of the diversity of the farms engaged in our program," said Chris Ninnes, ASC's CEO. "This year, we have seen the ASC program grow rapidly with an end of year tally of nearly 200 certified farms across 23 countries, and close to 100 farms in assessment. We look forward to more producers in Central America and beyond coming on board and making a commitment to responsible aquaculture."
Added Mauricio Mejia, Program Officer of Aquaculture for the Mesoamerican Reef Program for WWF-Belize: "It's encouraging to see the farmed seafood sector in countries such as Belize make strides towards environmental and social stewardship. This year, 95 per cent of Belize shrimp farmers gained ASC certification. We hope that this positive trend will boost more certifications of Tilapia and other aquaculture species in the region. WWF-Belize, together with IDH, the Sustainable Trade Initiative which provided the necessary funding to support this tilapia farm, will continue to help farms developing better management practices so that they comply with the ASC standard."
