Kingfish Zeeland has achieved certification against the Aquaculture Stewardship Council’s (ASC) Seriola standard, becoming the first Dutch fish farm to be ASC certified and the first Pacific yellowtail (seriola lalandi) producer in the world to join the program.
Located in the Province of Zeeland, Kingfish Zeeland raises its yellowtail, also known as kingfish or hiramasa, on a land-based recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) farm that taps into the marine estuary water of the Oosterschelde. The fish are fed a certified organic feed, while the farm is 100 percent powered by renewable energy.
“At Kingfish Zeeland we place sustainability and best practices as a core value, but we recognize that just saying so is not enough. That is why we value the strict parameters of leading certification organizations such as ASC, and are proud to be up to their standard,” said Ohad Maiman, CEO of Kingfish Zeeland.
“As the world’s first yellowtail source certified by ASC we are now able to service some of the world’s most demanding buyers, and offer their clientele the peace of mind of knowing our fish was farmed responsibly.”
Esther Luiten, commercial director, said that there is “great consumer demand” for responsibly sourced seafood in The Netherlands.
“Dutch consumers now have the opportunity to enjoy this delicious fish with the knowledge that it has been locally produced to the high environmental and social standards required by the ASC,” she said.
The certification was confirmed during “Bewuste Visweek,” or Think Fish Week, in the Netherlands, when consumers are encouraged to think about sustainable and responsible seafood.
ASC has also launched a new standard for seabass, seabream and meagre. Created using indicators from existing standards as well as additional metrics to address the specific impacts of farming these species, this standard was developed in line with ISEAL’s Code of Good Practice for Standard Setting, with the process involving two rounds of public consultation on the draft standards. It has now entered a six-month effective period.
