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INTERNATIONAL AQUAFEED DIRECTORY 2016/17

AQUACULTURE ASC AQUACULTURE

Aquaculture StewardshipCouncil – a global initiative for responsible aquacultureThe Aquaculture Stewardship Council(ASC) is as an independent, not-for-profit organisation with a mission totransform aquaculture towards environ-mental sustainability and social respon-sibility using efficient market mecha-nism that create value across the chain.The ASC was co-founded by the WorldWildlife Fund (WWF) and TheSustainable Trade Initiative (IDH) in2010 to manage the certification ofresponsible farming worldwide.

ASC certification meets the needs ofthe market by offering the world's mostrobust, credible, and science-based stan-dards for responsibly farmed seafood.The ASC standards were developed by anopen and transparent multi-stakeholderinitiative with more than 2,000 partici-pants and are built on the best scientificknowledge and industry practices.

The on-pack ASC logo identifiesseafood products from farms that havebeen independently certified to the ASCstandard. The logo assures consumers

that their fish has been farmed with min-imal impacts on the environment and onsociety.

ASC’s road towards more than200 farms certifiedBy the start of 2016, the ASC was proudto announce that more than 200 farmshad achieved ASC certification in 24

countries. Three bivalve farms in Chile simultaneously achieved certification, pushing the number ofASC certified farms past the 200 mark.

The number of ASC certified farms hasgrown exponentially in the last five yearssince the tilapia standard was launchedin 2012. Since May 2015, the number of ASC certified farms has expandedfrom 161 to 260, an increase of over62% in one year. There is also good reason to anticipate another phase of strong growth as more than 100 additional farms are currently in assessment.

The ASC programme has an estimatedtotal production volume (certified andunder assessment) of more than one mil-lion tonnes in the three and a half yearssince the first farm entered ASC assessment in August of 2012.

Salmon is now the species with thehightest number of ASC certified farms.The 117 salmon farms included in theofficial count are in line with the indus-try commitment to the Global SalmonInitiative. This is closely followed byshrimp, with 45 shrimp farms certifiedby May 2016.

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Growing number of producersengaged in certification The ASC programme’s expansion intonew countries continues and certifiedfarms can now found in China, Japan,Germany, Iceland, and the UnitedStates

The ASC welcomed its first certifiedfarm on the African continent inNovember 2015 when Irvin & JohnsonLtd Danger Point Abalone farm in CapeTown, South Africa was successfullyassessed against the ASC Abalone standard. The farm supplies abaloneproducts to South Africa, as well as toHong Kong, China, Singapore and Japan.

This March, ASC announced thatTaylor Shellfish Farms had become thefirst U.S. grower to achieve responsibleaquaculture certification for their farm-ing operation in Washington State. TheShelton, Washington based companyreceived ASC bivalve certification for aportion of its operations in the SouthPuget Sound basin, after an on-siteassessment by independent certifier SCSGlobal Services.

In November 2015, the two tilapiafarms Qionghai Zhongpingzi Grobestand Chengmai Xingyuan DevelopmentCo Ltd became the first Chinese farms toachieve ASC certification. This landmarkachievement was celebrated during theSustainable Seafood Forum in Qingdao,an event organised by the ASC, MarineStewardship Council (MSC), and ChinaAquatic Products Processing andMarketing Alliance (CAPPMA).

In Japan, the Shizugawa Branch of theMiyagi Prefecture Fisheries Co-operative

was the first farming collective in thecountry to become ASC certified inMarch 2016. The oyster farming co-operative earned its ASC certificationin recognition of their responsible environmental and social practices following an independent assessmentagainst the ASC Bivalve Standard byAMITA, a certification assessment bodybased in Japan.

ASC also saw the first farms inGermany and Iceland certified.Freshwater trout farm Heidefisch fromWietzendorf in the north of Germanygained its ASC certificate in February2016. And most recently, theDyrafjordur and Önundafjordur farms,both part of Arctic Fish's sea farm operations situated in northwesternIceland, became certified to produceASC rainbow trout.

A logo for responsible aquacultureThe ASC logo is a globally recognisedmark for responsibly farmed seafoodthat can be traced back through everystep of the supply chain. The ASC labelenables farms to demonstrate theirenvironmentally and socially responsi-ble credentials – proving that they areresponsible producers, implementinggood management practices and min-imising their environmental and socialimpact.

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Last year also saw the first abalonefarm achieve certification when JadeTiger Abalone's Indented Head abalonefarm in Australia was recognised for itsenvironmental and social responsibility.

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With a growing selection of ASC certi-fied seafood available, consumers across57 countries can now choose from morenearly 5,300 ASC labelled products. Asmore new standards such as seriola andcobia, seaweed, and marine finfish areintroduced, and as initiatives includinggroup gertification and multi-site certifi-cation gain participants, this number isonly set to increase.

Research has shown that the ASC logoreassures consumers that the seafoodthey purchase is produced using meth-ods of the highest environmental andsocial integrity, reinforcing their trust inretailers.

With the ASC label seafood buyers,processors, retailers and food servicecompanies can assure their customersthat the seafood they are buying comesfrom a well-managed responsible farm.These businesses play a leading role inmaking certified seafood available tobuyers and consumers, and creatingdemand for seafood from responsiblymanaged fish farms.

Growing global commitmentto responsible aquacultureThe growing engagement of farms inthe ASC programme has been matchedby significant commitments from influ-ential retailers, seafood brands andsuppliers, including the Rio 2016Olympic and Paralympic Games whohave pledged to source seafood fromASC certified farms throughout theOlympic village for both athletes andspectators.

The largest global commitment to datewas announced in the autumn of 2015when IKEA pledged to offer only ASCcertified farmed seafood across all theirstores in 47 countries. As a result, ASCcertified seafood became available toconsumers in eight new markets whereit had not been on sale before such asTurkey, Thailand and the Middle East.

In the end of 2015, AEON, the largestretailer in Japan made ASC certifiedfarmed shrimp products available intheir retail outlets throughout Japan.AEON's own-brand products are thefirst ASC certified shrimp to be intro-duced in Japan, and are an extension ofthe retailer's ongoing commitment tosourcing responsibly farmed seafood.

Earlier in 2015, the retailer alsoannounced plans to increase the volumeof ASC certified seafood available acrossits stores by ten percent, from the cur-rent three percent, by 2020. Referring tothe forthcoming Tokyo 2020 OlympicGames, AEON confirmed that the factthat ASC certified seafood would beserved at the Rio 2016 Olympic Gamesis a clear sign that recognition of certi-fied farmed seafood is increasing world-wide. AEON predicts that ASC in partic-ular will expand on a wide scale globallyin the coming years, and it sees theTokyo 2020 Games as an opportunity tointroduce more ASC certified seafood inJapan.

In Australia, Coles became the firstmajor supermarket to introduce ASCcertified salmon in their deli. Australianseafood consumers can now buy fresh

salmon certified as responsibly farmed inthe deli at their local Coles supermarket.

In June last year, the largest retailer inthe Netherlands, Albert Heijn, switchedto only selling ASC certified farmedsalmon in their 832 stores across thecountry. And other Dutch retailers suchas Jumbo, PLUS, Aldi and Lidl - whohave all pledged to source only ASC cer-tified seafood - are selling an increasingamount of ASC salmon. In Belgium,Colruyt is also offering a broad range ofcertified products.

At the end of last year, Lidl Germanyunveiled an ambitious commitment toonly sell ASC certified or organic farmedfish in its permanent selection from2018. And, in November 2015, leadingSouth African retailer Woolworthsbecame first to introduce ASC certifiedtilapia products in South Africa.

This year also saw the Royal CaribbeanCruises Ltd (RCL) and the WWF sign afive-year global partnership setting out acommitment to source ASC products asthey increase supply chain responsibility,meet environmental targets and engagemillions of passengers in ocean conservation. Under the SustainableSeafood 2020 Target, RCL's NorthAmerican and European operations willsource 75 per cent of their farmedseafood lines from ASC certified farms.

Last autumn, leading north Europeanhotel chains, Nordic Choice Hotels,become the first chain in Scandinavia to offer ASC certified seafood to their guests. One of their Swedish flagship hotels, the spa and conferencehotel Yasuragi, made a commitment tooffer their customers ASC certifiedseafood in the hotel’s restaurants. To support responsible aquaculture, Yasuragi has become ASC Chain ofCustody certified. It will be the firsthotel in the Nordic region to offer itscustomer full traceability for its farmedseafood.

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This year, Brakes Group became thefirst foodservice supplier to launch ASCcertified shrimp in the UK. With theintroduction of the Brakes' new ASC certified warm water prawns at the endof March thousands of customers atpubs, hotels, restaurants, schools andhospitals across the UK can now enjoyshrimp sourced from farms that care forthe environment, the people and localcommunities.

Working together towards a responsible aquaculture sector

ASC works closely with fellow organ-isations to strengthen its committmentto responsible aquaculture. Throughcollaboration, ASC and its partners canachieve their mutual goal more effectively by realising and recognisinggood aquaculture practices.

ASC and MSC sign MOU toadd value to partnersThe ASC and the Marine StewardshipCouncil (MSC) signed an MOU lastyear furthering their collaboration andcommitment to finding additional effi-ciencies and adding value for partnershandling both ASC and MSC certifiedproducts.

The ASC and MSC share a commonheritage and vision that global seafoodsupplies should be sustainable, responsi-bly managed and supported by securesupply chains. Cooperation between thetwo organisations will bring greater

operational efficiencies and adds valueto their partners.

While the organisations operate in dif-ferent seafood sectors, they have thesame theory of change, seeking to recog-nise and reward existing best practiceand to incentivise improvements byrecognising fisheries and farms that meettheir standards as assessed by third partyindependent audits. Furthermore theyshare a vision that standard systemsshould conform to international normsand codes of good conduct, includingFAO Guidelines and ISEAL Codes.

Key to delivering on this intention isthe continued, long-term collaborationon the use of the MSC's Chain ofCustody Standard and the complemen-tary approach both organisations take inadministering their respective logos.ASC and MSC will also collaborate inprojects that seek to investigate andensure supply chain integrity, such asproduct trace-backs and genetic testing.

The MOU extends cooperationbetween the organisations to includecollaboration on new standard develop-ment, particularly for producers strad-dling the wild-enhanced-aquacultureboundary, such as seaweed.

Joint engagement helps further collaborationFollowing the signing of the MOU, thetwo organisations have continued work-ing towards furthering their collabora-tion. This year, for the first time theASC and the MSC shared a joint stand

at the Seafood Expo Global in Brussels.ASC is committed to finding additionalefficiencies and added value for part-ners handling both ASC and MSC certi-fied products, and the joint stand is atestament to that ambition.

The ASC and the MSC also hosted aninaugural joint event at Seafood ExpoGlobal. The Seafood Futures Forum,attended by close to 400 delegates,showcased market trends and efforts tobuild consumer demand for responsiblyproduced and sustainably sourcedseafood. Panellists from market leadersIKEA, Hilton Wolrdwide and Carrefourexplained the role of consumer demandin driving their commitment to ASC andMSC certified seafood.

ASC and D-Fish join forces topromote responsible aquaculture in VietnamIn June 2015, the ASC and VietnameseDirectorate of Fisheries (D-Fish) signedan MoU pledging to work together topromote responsible aquaculture inVietnam through a step-wise approachfrom VietGAP to ASC certification.

The Vietnamese government is com-mitted to reducing the negative impactsof fish farming in the country. Buildingon the mandate that farms must meetVietGAP standards, the project will helpmove farms towards an internationallyrecognised standard, provide access tointernational markets and ensure a moreresponsible aquaculture sector.

The two organisations will implementa joint programme to create guidance forVietGAP certified farmers to help themprogress to ASC certification. The project will allow farms to make step-by-step improvements in their practiceswith the goal of reaching the ASC standard.

The initiative will allow ASC to engagewith a tier of farmers that are currentlynot able to meet the ASC requirements,

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including smallholders, who will benefitfrom greater support in deliveringimprovements in their practices. Theapproach can also reduce costs for producers who wish to gain ASC certification, thereby helping ASCbecome a more efficient service provider.

Supporting Belgian consumersto choose certified seafood

For the last three years, the ASC hasworked in partnership with MSC andWWF Netherlands on a joint initiative,Think Fish Week, that encouragesDutch consumers to choose ASC orMSC certified seafood.

In 2015, the first Think Fish Weekalso took place in Belgium. The Belgiancampaign had a flying start with sixmajor retailers taking part, representing60 per cent of the market share. AlbertHeijn, Aldi, Carrefour, Delhaize, Lidland Spar participated in the campaignand helped show Belgian customers howeasy it is to choose responsibly farmedseafood. Restaurants McDonalds andQuick also took part, and the campaignwas supported by 17 well-knownBelgian chefs.

Together with participating compa-nies, the Think Fish Week encouragesseafood lovers to choose ASC or MSCcertified seafood. All the companies tak-ing part in the campaign put competi-tion aside to invest in an increasedunderstanding of the importance of cer-tified seafood and an increased recogni-tion of the ASC and MSC labels.

In the Netherlands, the third ThinkFish Week was supported by 36 partici-pants including leading retailers AlbertHeijn (Ahold), Jumbo/C1000, COOP,Lidl, and Aldi, key brands such as Iglo and John West, food service providerSodexo, as well as local fish mongers.

Over the last year, standard develop-ment for new species including seaweedand marine finfish have been kicked off,the seriola and cobia standard hasentered its final phase, and ASC hasconducted the operational reviews ofthe salmon, tilapia and pangasius stan-dards. This year, group certification andmulti-site certification are expected togo live, and the responsible feed stan-dard is on track to be launched in 2017.

Seriola and cobia standard enters finalphaseThe ASC Seriola and Cobia Standard washanded over to the ASC in February2015. The standard aims to address thekey negative environmental and socialimpacts of seriola and cobia farming,including preservation of local habitatsand biodiversity, conservation of waterand quality, responsible sourcing of feedingredients, minimal use of therapeuticsand antibiotics, caring for their employ-ees and fostering good community rela-tions.

The pilot testing of the draft auditmanual for the seriola and cobia stan-dard started in early 2016. The pilotswill help ASC to field-test the audit man-ual and allow the pilot farms to measuretheir operations against the standard.

The standard is anticipated to belaunched later in 2016.

A global standard for seaweed The ASC and the MSC have kicked offthe work to create a joint global standardfor certifying seaweed operations. Thecollaboration offers the unique opportu-nity to build on the expertise of the twoleading seafood certification andlabelling programmes.

With seaweed production increasingalongside demand for certification, ASCrecognises the importance of having a

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INTERNATIONAL AQUAFEED DIRECTORY 2015/16

More standards for responsible fish farming

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global standard that rewards responsibleseaweed production, and provides abenchmark for improvement. Wild har-vest supports a significant portion of theindustry, however seaweed aquaculturehas grown rapidly to meet increasingdemand.

The Seaweed Standard will contributeto the health of the world's aquaticecosystems by promoting environmental-ly sustainable and socially responsibleuse of seaweed resources.

The standard will allow certificationfrom both wild harvest and farmed sea-weed, regardless of the scale or locationof the operation. The assessment of sea-weed farms and fisheries will be guidedby five core principles: sustainable popu-lations; minimising environmentalimpacts; effective management; socialresponsibility; and community relationsand interactions.

Seaweeds and other algae are integralin our daily life. They are used widely asfood, in cosmetics and fertilizers, and areprocessed to form binding agents (emulsifiers) for toothpaste and fruit jelly.They also play a critical role in our aquat-ic ecosystems, providing food, shelterand habitats for a wide range of organisms including fish, shellfish,marine invertebrates and corals.

Marine finfish standard development This year also saw the start of the newmarine finfish standards development,based on the soon to be released standard for seriola and cobia.

Because the knowledge and expertisenecessary for the development of standards for seriola, cobia and, in somecases salmon, is applicable to the development of standards for similar fishand farming systems, the forthcomingrelease of the seriola and cobia standard

creates an opportunityto test the applicabilityof the standard toexpand the programme.This is the first time theASC has taken such anapproach.

The marine finfishdevelopment is a directresult of the manyrequests ASC hasreceived to create a stan-dard for barramundi,European seabass andseabream. If it is determined that using

the seriola and cobia standard is feasible this will provide a quicker routeto the creation of standards for newspecies.

As a market-based programme, theASC must find ways to effectivelyrespond to the needs of the growingcommunity of farms and retail partnersseeking certification for an increasingrange of species. This new process couldbe an innovative way to leverage efficiencies across the organisation inorder to respond more quickly to callsfor new standards that will help farmers,workers, local communities andimprove environmental protection.

Group certification: helping small holders farm responsibly As the majority of global aquacultureproduction is done by small to medium-sized farmers, it is vital to ensure that theASC programme evolves to accommo-date farms of all sizes. Group certifica-tion is an opportunity to expand thenumber of farms eligible to participate inthe certification scheme.

The creation of the group certificationmethodology was announced inDecember 2015. The project is a keymilestone in the ASC's mission to movethe industry towards environmental sustainability and social responsibility.

Under group certification, farmers willcome together to implement the ASCstandards to achieve certification as oneentity, with a central office to take care ofthe administration of the group as awhole. Taking a collective approach willbring efficiencies for all parties.

This year, the ASC, with support fromexperts representing NGOs, farmers,and a cross section of stakeholders, hascreated a working draft for the method-ology, and group certification is antici-pated to go live by the end of 2016.

Multi-site certificationMulti-site certification will enable com-panies owning five to 50 sites within thesame jurisdiction to achieve certificationfor all locations in one go. To qualify, theorganisation must have a central officemanaging the sites' compliance with theASC standard through a documentedmanagement system.

The goal is to achieve the maximumlevel of assurance that is credible yetaffordable, applied consistently acrossdifferent farms and certifiers. Theapproach will increase the efficiency forboth farms and the ASC will significantly.

� For more information about ASC please contact Sun Brage on sun.brage@asc-aqua.org or +31 (0)30 2305 692.

Details accurate as at May 2016

INTERNATIONAL AQUAFEED DIRECTORY 2016/17

AQUACULTURE ASC AQUACULTURE

Quick facts about the ASCCertified farms• 2 abalone farms• 16 bivalves farm• 32 pangasius farms• 117 salmon farms • 45 shrimp farm• 31 tilapia farms• 17 trout farms

• 110 farms in assessment

* Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark,Dominican Republic, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary,Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Macau, Malaysia, Malta,Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, RussianFederation, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden,Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguayand Vietnam.

©ASC

• 886 chain of custody holders• 417 logo licence holders• 5,293 approved ASC labelled products• 57 countries*

• 26 certifiers accredited to conductchain of custody audits

• 8 certifiers accredited to conduct farmaudits

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