The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) on Tuesday unveiled its consumer-facing eco-label.
The ASC eco-label for responsibly farmed seafood is designed to compliment the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) eco-label for responsibly caught seafood. Like the MSC label, the ASC label contains an outline of a fish, flanked by a check mark. The rectangular label contains the phrase “Farmed Responsibly ASC Certified” as well as the ASC’s website, asc-aqua.org. The ASC label is sea green, while the MSC label is blue.
“In terms of recognition, it is important that consumers see their choices confirmed by a logo that communicates this positively. We have opted for a color scheme that fits with the specifics of fish farming, which often involves a combination of water and land. A friendly fish with a ‘bold’ checkmark shows very clearly that the purchase of the seafood product is a positive choice,” said Chris Ninnes, CEO of ASC. “The language used ‘certified’ and ‘responsible’ reinforces these visual cues.”
The ASC label was designed by Jones Knowles Ritchie (JKR) from its London office. “JKR is one of the foremost packaging design agencies globally and without their pro bono efforts, the ASC would not have been able to develop such a positive and powerful communication tool. With this logo, consumers will now be able to make mindful, responsible choices when it comes to farmed seafood,” said Jose Villalon, chairman of the ASC Board, who also recognised the contribution of Birds Eye Iglo in supporting the process through commercial and consumer testing.
The ASC eco-label comes about a month after the organization, which became operational nearly a year ago, announced the launch of its first standard into the marketplace with the opening of the accreditation process for tilapia.
The ASC on Tuesday said the first species to be awarded the ASC label will very likely be tilapia, and audits are already planned for farms in Indonesia and Honduras. This summer, the ASC label will appear on tilapia packaging in supermarkets in Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Sweden, Denmark and England.
