Scottish Sea Farms has obtained the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) certification for its Summer Isles Farms. This is the first time the company has achieved this accreditation. The company aims to achieve up to five farms and facilities ASC certified by the end of 2022.
Moreover, the three Summer Isles farms record exemplary fish health and welfare. The average survival was 94.2% across the last three crops. Also, an average harvest weight of 6kg and 91.7% of all fish harvested graded superior. Besides, the farms received an 'excellent' rating from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency's CAS. It measures environmental performance, for the last two published years (2018 and 2019).
"ASC certified farms are considered the global elite in terms of performance," said Scottish Sea Farms' Aquaculture Technical Lead for ASC certification, Anna Price. "Gaining our first certification is the culmination of two years' hard work, involving several different departments and functions," she added.
On the other side, Matthew James, Senior Aquaculture Technical Manager of LRQA Group, which carries out the certification, commented: "We were impressed both by its high level of compliance achieved at a first audit, and the knowledge and enthusiasm throughout their farming team."
Furthermore, Scottish Sea Farms also achieved chain of custody certification of its processing and packing facilities at South Shian near Oban – confirmation that the necessary procedures are in place to ensure that any fish that go on to carry the ASC logo are indeed from an ASC-certified farm.
According to Scottish Sea Farms, now the goal is to achieve chain of custody certification for the company's processing and packing facility in Scalloway. The next farm earmarked for certification is Lober Rock in Orkney.
Finally, Price noted: "ASC certification is a win-win. It gives customers further reassurance, and it gives farmers a chance to see and draw from international best practices. Going for certification of more farms can only be a good thing for all."
