ASC is seeking input from various stakeholders, including farmers, retailers, NGOs, academics, and interested individuals on the new standard.
One of the world’s largest aquaculture certification bodies, the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) has announced a stakeholder consultation on its new ASC Farm Standard, set to run 8 April to 20 May, 2024.
This consultation aims to gather feedback on the standard, which encompasses key areas including water quality, greenhouse gas emissions, alien species, living wage, and animal welfare.
The new ASC Farm Standard integrates twelve species-specific standards into one comprehensive framework, enhancing consistency across all species covered by ASC.
This unification ensures that the requirements for obtaining and retaining ASC certification are relevant and consistent across various aquaculture practices. Moreover, the integrated standard enables ASC to respond to market demands for new species and add new production systems to the program.
Enhancements in the new standard include addressing key environmental and social impacts of aquaculture. The standard is organized around four principles, with the latest principle emphasizing fish welfare.
ASC is seeking input from various stakeholders, including farmers, retailers, NGOs, academics, and interested individuals. This final consultation round follows several earlier rounds of stakeholder feedback and aims to refine the Standard further.
Participants in the survey will provide insights on ASC’s performance areas, general content of the new Farm Standard, and specific ‘deep dive’ topics within the Standard. ASC has provided supporting materials and information to assist participants in understanding the key changes and enhancements proposed in the new standard.
