BioMar facility in Grangemouth, Scotland, UK.
Photo: BioMar.
The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) announced today that BioMar UK has become the first feed production facility in the United Kingdom to obtain ASC Feed Certification. It is only the second one to achieve it in Europe.
BioMar UK is in the leading pack of European feed producers transforming feed supply chains towards greater responsibility. With this certification, it will play a key role in ensuring more responsible feed production for the Scottish farmed salmon industry, where transparency, accountability, and traceability are increasingly important.
Located in the Scottish town of Grangemouth, BioMar's UK facility produces feed for salmon and trout. In the joint release issued by ASC and BioMar, both companies highlighted that achieving ASC Feed Certification marks an important milestone not only for the plant itself and the company but for the progress of the entire UK aquaculture industry towards more responsible practices.
This was emphasized by Rob Wilson, BioMar UK Business Unit Director. "This milestone highlights our commitment to leading the charge in responsible aquaculture practices," he said. "By providing ASC-compliant feed, we are not only supporting local salmon and trout farmers but also helping to ensure that the UK aquaculture industry continues to meet the growing demand for ethical and transparent seafood production."
Salmon and freshwater trout farms in the region and beyond are now able to obtain ASC-compliant feed from BioMar UK. Ally Dingwall, Senior Director of Technical Operations at ASC, said that BioMar UK's achievement of ASC Feed certification is real progress for responsible seafood farming in the United Kingdom.
"Being the first certification in the country displays their leadership role in the aquafeed industry," he added. "This certification provides the first local access to ASC-compliant feed in Scotland, which is crucial as we approach the 2025 deadline for ASC-certified farms to ensure their feed supply is ASC-compliant."
Launched in 2023, the ASC Feed Standard sets rigorous requirements for aquafeed production, covering areas such as social and labor rights, health and safety, environmental stewardship, and responsible sourcing of raw materials. By 2025, the switch to ASC-compliant feed will be necessary for producers to continue meeting the ASC Farm Standards and maintain their certification.
Earlier this year, and after an extensive industry consultation, the Aquaculture Stewardship Council decided to give ASC-certified farms more time to transition to compliant feed. The conversion period that initially ended in January 2025 was extended to October 2025.
From ASC, Dingwall stressed the importance of BioMar taking this step now. "BioMar UK's commitment to meeting our rigorous standards across environmental stewardship, social responsibility, and supply chain transparency sets a powerful example for the industry," he said.
"Whilst this is another step towards our goal of transforming the entire aquaculture supply chain towards greater environmental and social responsibility, there is more progress to be made," the Senior Director of Technical Operations at ASC added.
This certification of its UK operations adds to BioMar Group's growing list of ASC-certified production sites worldwide. We recently learned that its Ecuador facility - dedicated to producing high-quality shrimp feed - had also achieved ASC Feed Certification.
Beyond its certifications, BioMar's commitment to sustainability can also be seen in other initiatives such as its Blue Impact feed program which, in addition to supplementing wild fish in its formulations with farmed algal oil, fish trimmings, and insect meal, is designed as an individualized journey for each company. New Zealand's Akaroa King Salmon is the latest company to join it.
