Chris Ninnes, CEO of the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC).
Photo: ASC.
The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) has marked 2025 as a milestone year with the launch of three significant updates to its certification programme.
The seafood farming certification organization is due to launch the new ASC Farm Standard this Spring, in addition to updating its Feed Standard (v1.1) and Certification and Accreditation Requirements (CAR), following an extensive multi-year consultation process.
The ASC Farm Standard, designed to unify previous species-specific standards, was shaped through global engagement, including 220 consultation responses, 34 in-depth interviews, and a stakeholder survey with 622 responses.
Earlier this week, the ASC released summary reports detailing this stakeholder feedback and key changes incorporated into the new standards.
ASC CEO Chris Ninnes thanked all of those who participated in the consultations, and emphasized the importance of collaboration, stating, “The overwhelming response we received to our consultations over the years reflects the dedication and commitment of our partners to driving meaningful change in the seafood farming industry. The new Farm Standard is the result of extensive consultation, bringing together diverse stakeholder perspectives from around the world."
“The development of the ASC Farm Standard spanned more than five years and has been a monumental effort made possible by the collaboration and hard work of ASC staff, auditors, NGOs, farmers, retailers, and many other partners. Their collective input has helped shape a standard that provides greater consistency across the species we certify, embraces the innovation that has become established in seafood farming and addresses shortcomings inherent in the legacy standards," Ninnes continued.
“With the addition of dedicated coverage of animal welfare and recognising advances in how to address social and environmental impacts, the Farm Standard will support the industry’s transformation toward greater sustainability and accountability. The ASC Farm Standard is truly a testament to the power of collaboration and industry-wide effort," he added.
The ASC Farm Standard, which will be launched in the second quarter of 2025, is built around four core principles: legal compliance and business management, environmental stewardship, human rights promotion, and responsible animal health and welfare.
The ASC noted that stakeholders praised the new Standard for its clarity, usability, and its appeal to sustainability-conscious buyers.
To ensure a smooth transition, ASC has introduced a two-year adjustment period before the Farm Standard becomes mandatory in May 2027.
Feedback from producers highlighted the need for clearer language, more tools, training, and regional flexibility, prompting ASC to simplify key requirements and provide additional support.
The ASC said that its Feed Standard v1.1 was revised following stakeholder feedback, focusing on improved environmental accountability, species-specific greenhouse gas reporting, and enhanced deforestation-free measures.
Meanwhile, the CAR update streamlines the certification process, simplifies group requirements, and strengthens auditor competency.
The ASC Farm Standard will launch in Q2 2025 with a two-year transition period, while the updated Feed Standard v1.1 will take effect in November. The revised CAR will also be implemented within the year to ensure full alignment with the new Standards, the ASC said.
“Through collaborative and rigorous consultation efforts, we have ensured that stakeholder insights are fully integrated into our new Standards," said ASC Director of Policy and Programme Management Suzi Keshavarz. "We look forward to further learnings from pilot audits as we move forward.”
