First shrimp farm in Ecuador joins Aquaculture Stewardship Council's Improver Programme

The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC)'s Improver Programme has welcomed its first Latin American participant, with the news that shrimp farming company AGRIMINGOLD S.A. has embarked on an Aquaculture Improvement Project (AIP) with the ASC.

The project covers 135 hectares of Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) production in El Oro Province, Ecuador, with an annual output of 753.15 tonnes, the ASC said.

The ASC’s Improver Programme is designed to assist aquaculture farms not yet ready or eligible for ASC certification, but that commit to improve their environmental and social practices through an AIP, the organization explained.

“We are proud to welcome AGRIMINGOLD S.A., and its brand MAREAROSA, as the first Latin America producer to join the Improver Programme by ASC. Their commitment to positive change and enhancing environmental and social practices reflects the proactive spirit we aim to foster through this initiative," said Patricia Bianchi, AIP and Governance Manager at ASC, in a press release.

“We look forward to supporting AGRIMINGOLD S.A./MAREAROSA on their journey towards greater sustainability, social responsibility and, eventually, ASC certification," she added.

AGRIMINGOLD CEO Annabell Palacios described her company's participation in the AIP as "a fundamental milestone in our firm purpose towards environmental sustainability and a solid social responsibility."

"We want to make a significant contribution to the protection of the environment and the wellbeing of the sector, especially vulnerable communities. We are excited to be a part of this initiative, and we are committed to working hard to achieve our goals," Palacios added.

The Improver Programme supports farms through the implementation of Aquaculture Improvement Projects, using a structured set of tools and procedures to ensure consistent progress. While ASC certification remains the long-term objective, the programme recognises and supports smaller, incremental improvements by farmers.

Speaking to WeAreAquaculture earlier this year, ASC CEO Chris Ninnes said the Improver Programme was a "huge opportunity" to drive change at scale and enable smaller producers worldwide to develop sustainable and responsible practices.

"We need to find ways to certify at a much greater geographical scale. Currently, only about 20% of aquaculture production flows to markets that demand sustainability. We’re focusing on how to engage the other 80%," Ninnes explained at the time.

"For over 80% of global production [...] we recognise that improving current management practices will bring about environmental and social improvements, in addition to improving profits and production," he continued, adding, "I foresee that the improver programme aspect of the of the ASC will become bigger than the certification side of it."

With this latest addition, the ASC Improver Programme now has 17 active shrimp-related AIPs in five countries: Ecuador (1), Kenya (1), Bangladesh (1), Indonesia (2), and Thailand (12). A full list of companies participating in the ASC programme can be viewed on the Aquaculture Stewardship Council website.