ASC appoints development director

Dr. Philip Smith, a former Marine Harvest executive, has been named development director of the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC), which will oversee the certification of fish farms worldwide.

Formed in January, the ASC will be responsible for hiring independent, third-party auditors to certify that fish farms comply with the standards for responsible seafood farming currently being developed by World Wildlife Fund’s Aquaculture Dialogues.

WWF and the Dutch Sustainable Trade Initiative are funding the development of a business plan for the ASC, which is expected to be in operation by 2011.

Smith, who has 35 years of experience in the aquaculture industry, was the managing director of Marine Harvest Europe, the world’s largest farmed salmon producer, from 2004 to 2007. Previously, he was managing director of the fish feed division at Nutreco and CEO of fish feed manufacturer EWOS.

“Responsible aquaculture is not only smart for the environment, it’s also smart for business,” said Smith. “Pursuing sustainability is in line with good management practices, which will limit volatility experienced in a number of species and geographies, most recently salmon in Chile. It also serves to respond to growing consumer demand for sustainable products and lead to improved economic benefits for the industry over the long term.”

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