Kenya’s Victory Farms joins ASC's Improver Programme

Victory Farms in Kenya has become the first tilapia farmer worldwide to participate in an Aquaculture Improvement Project (AIP) under the Aquaculture Stewardship Council’s Improver Programme, the ASC has announced.

The company, which is based in western Kenya’s Homa Bay, produces around 18,000 tonnes of tilapia each year across its 50-hectare site. Victory Farms manages the full production chain, from hatchery to processing and retail, through a vertically integrated structure.

It is now the first aquaculture farm in Africa to participate in the Improver Programme by ASC, which is designed to support farms that are not yet certified but are actively working towards improved environmental and social outcomes through an AIP.

The AIP process includes assessing current practices, identifying changes needed, and tracking progress over time.

"This effort paves the way for Victory Farms to enhance key areas such as animal welfare and the responsible use of feed, while also serving as a blueprint for other aquaculture producers in Africa to follow," the ASC stated in a press release. 

“We’re eager to ensure our standards are world-class and traceable for all our consumers,” said Nsogbu Wadike, Group Aquaculture Excellence Manager at Victory Farms. “Joining the AIP is an excellent opportunity to strengthen this rigour and reporting in our operations.”

“This is a landmark achievement not just for Victory Farms, but for Africa’s seafood farming sector as a whole," said Roy van Daatselaar, who leads the Improver Programme at ASC. "We are thrilled to support Victory Farms as they choose change and raise the bar for tilapia farming in the region."

There are currently 17 active AIPs under the ASC’s programme, operating in countries including Thailand, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Ecuador and now Kenya.

The ASC also recently announced it had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Ghana's Chamber of Aquaculture to further develop responsible aquaculture practices in Ghana's fish farming sector.