A tilapia farm in Brazil has become the country’s first to garner Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) Certification.
Netuno Internacional was awarded ASC certification following a third-party assessment conducted by Control Union Peru, which confirmed that the farm met all requirements stipulated in the ASC’s Tilapia Standard.
The certification comes in the months leading up to the 2016 Rio Olympics, where athletes and spectators will be fed seafood acquired from ASC and Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)-approved sources, the Olympics event committee said. As a positive consequence of its certification, Netuno’s products can now be featured on some of the estimated 14 million plates to be served during the 2016 Games.
“We are very excited to be able to offer the first certified responsible seafood from Brazil,” said Andre M. Brugger, Vice President of the Brazilian Institute for Sustainable Development (IABS) and sustainability advisor to Netuno. “We studied the market and the protocols of all certification programs available and the one that suited our ambition was ASC. We believe that ASC certification will benefit Brazilian exports because it will show a commitment to socio-environmental sustainable development. Operators who want to improve their numbers on international trade should become certified.”
“Netuno Internacional is to be congratulated on this achievement,” added Chris Ninnes, CEO of ASC. “Netuno’s certification is an important first in Brazil and we are pleased to welcome them to the programme. They have set a high standard for their operations and are further proof that what is good for the environment, workers and the community is also good for business. Of course, with the Olympics on the horizon, Netuno’s certification also sets a great example for how local producers can represent their country by offering responsibly farmed seafood to a global audience.”
Netuno’s certification and aquaculture presence will hopefully and ultimately bring the underserved communities of northeast Brazil – the farm is located just outside the city of Paulo Afanso in Bahia – more opportunities, according to the company.
“Aquaculture is one of the best options for this region if done under rigid sustainable criteria like the ones that ASC applies. We are most proud of the great interaction that we have with the community. The water quality of the lake on which we have operations— 11 billion cubic meters lake with 1,200 cubic meters renovation per second—and the fact that we do not use any chemicals or antibiotics in any of our supply chain helps us maintain positive relationships with residents and those we share the lake with,” said Andre.
More on the ASC Tilapia Standard and Netuno’s certification can be found here: http://www.asc-aqua.org/
