IKEA’s Chinese operations have been given an award by the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) for Outstanding Contributions to Sustainable Seafood in China’s retail industry: the Swedish furniture retailer serves only ASC- and Marine Stewardship Council-certified seafood at its popular Chinese in-store restaurants.
Ole, which has been establishing sustainable seafood counters in all of its stores, also won the Outstanding Contributions award, presented at the ASC's recent award ceremony in Shanghai. The retail chain is operated by state-owned conglomerate China Resources Vanguard Group.
The ASC Market Pioneer Award went to four Chinese aquaculture firms promoting responsible aquaculture concepts in their market network: Shrimp producer Huitai Bohai Seafoods Co. Ltd. and scallop producer Dalian Haiyangdao Fisheries Group Co. Ltd. both got the award, as well as Dandong Zhengrun Food Co. Ltd. and Liaoning Ande Foodstuff Co. Ltd, both producers of manila clams.
The ASC Encourage Promotion Award was given to three aquaculture companies showing progress towards ASC standards and “special roles and contributions in responsible aquaculture”: oyster producer Weihai Lighthouse Jellyfish Marine Technology Co. Ltd., and Hainan Lingao Haifeng Seafood group, a producer of pompano under the ASC Improver Program (AIP), which puts the company on a path towards ASC certification. Empresas AquaChile SA, which promotes its ASC-certified Atlantic salmon in China, was the other winner.
The awards were presented at a Seafood Sustainable Development Submit Forum China 2020 conference organized by ASC alongside WWF China and China Aquatic Products Promotion and Marketing Association (CAPPMA). The conference was organized to explore “the new situation and solution for seafood sustainability in China under the influence of C-ovid19,” ASC spokesperson Qing Fang told SeafoodSource.
There are now 22 ASC-certified farms in China, with around 260 supply chain companies and processers, according to Qing. Qing said the market is becoming more familiar with ASC products, partially through more-high profile appearances by ASC at events like the recent FHC China in Shanghai, a food and drink fair for the hospitality sector, where ASC booth hosted a booth for certified companies.
“They really got new buyers there, which indicates that seafood from responsible aquaculture are in line with the development trend of Chinese market,” Qing said. “We are going to make this an annual event at the SIAL China show every May and FHC every November.”
Photo courtesy of Aquaculture Stewardship Council
