“Now is the time to play a more active role in driving transformation in seafood farming," says Aquaculture Stewardship Council CEO Chris Ninnes.
Photo: ASC
The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) has unveiled its latest annual impact report, showcasing a significant expansion of its environmental and social impact across the global seafood farming sector in 2023.
“2023 was a year of milestones for ASC as we formally launched the ASC Feed Standard, the Improver Programme by ASC and the ASC Chain of Custody Module," said CEO Chris Ninnes.
“According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, farmed seafood surpassed wild-caught fish for the first time in 2022. The continual growth of aquaculture emphasises the need to drive improvements and reward responsible practices," he added.
The report details the expanding number of ASC certified farms, growing to 2,062 across 58 species, resulting in the production of 2.4 million metric tonnes of responsibly farmed seafood—a notable 8.6% increase from 2022.
In addition, the presence of ASC-labeled products in the market expanded in 2023, with a 17% increase in availability across 116 countries, reflecting a 4% growth in consumer options. Over 4,300 environmental sustainability improvements and more than 3,000 social responsibility enhancements were also implemented across certified farms.
The ASC also continued to support farms that were not yet ready for certification through the Improver Programme, which included three Aquaculture Improvement Projects (AIPs) across 129 sites.
“I am extremely proud of our work to drive transformation and our impact not just in the wider seafood farming sector, but also in offering improvement and learning opportunities to smaller scale farms where change is not always easily accessible and to those at the very beginning of their improvement journey," Ninnes said.
Meanwhile, the ASC Feed Standard, launched in January 2023, saw nine feed mills certified, contributing to the reduction of negative impacts such as deforestation, land conversion, and unethical labour practices. To maintain the integrity of the program, 1,367 audits were conducted by 12 accredited independent Conformity Bodies (CABs) across 51 countries.
Global recognition of the ASC label also grew, with the organization emerging as the most recognized and trusted certification for farmed seafood in consumer research conducted across 14 countries.
The ASC aims to unify species-specific standards into a single, robust global standard by 2025, and reports it has engaged over 300 stakeholders in the public consultation for the ASC Farm Standard.
“Now is the time to play a more active role in driving transformation in seafood farming. We do this by having a clear goal and vision, reinforced by measurable and meaningful impact which is reflected in this latest report," Ninnes said.
“We plan to continue setting the standard for seafood and grow the programme further with ongoing investment in dedicated ASC campaigns and more valuable new services for our partners," he added.
The full interactive report is available on the ASC website, offering an in-depth exploration of ASC's ongoing impact on sustainable aquaculture, presenting key data and facts and including real-life case studies that illustrate ASC's achievements throughout the year.
