In the picture, Skretting AI Research Station, Chile. Skretting Chile was one of the first feed mills to be certified according to the requirements of the ASC Feed Standard earlier this month.
Photo: Marco Jimenez / Skretting.
After an extensive industry consultation, the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ACS) has decided to give ASC-certified farms more time to transition to compliant feed. The conversion period that initially ended in January 2025 will now be extended to October 2025, an additional ten months for producers to ensure that their feed supply comes from mills that have been certified to the ASC's Feed Standard.
"The decision to extend the compliance deadline for the Feed Standard highlights our dedication to close collaboration with the industry," said Alexandra Warrington, Senior Coordinator of Feed Standard at ASC.
The extension deadline announced by the Aquaculture Stewardship Council coincides with the planned launch of the ASC's new Farm Standard, which will create a single farm norm. The body aims to provide greater consistency and bring together the requirements of all farmed seafood species currently targeted.
Nevertheless, for the duration of the extension, and until they switch to sourcing from a certified feed mill, ASC farms may continue to comply with the feed requirements set out in their respective farm species standards.
"This extension period reflects our commitment to supporting farms in their journey towards more responsible practices, allowing them the necessary time to adapt and ensuring a robust supply of compliant feed is available to them in the market," continued Alexandra Warrington.
In addition to giving farms more time to make changes to their feed supply chain, the new schedule is also a guarantee that available volumes of ACS-compliant feed will be sufficient to meet the demand from aquaculture farmers.
While announcing the extension in the transition period to compliant feed for farms, the ACS has also announced incentives for feed mills to speed up the process. Those feed mills that become certified in 2024 will not have to pay license fees for the volume of compliant feed they produce this calendar year.
The Aquaculture Stewardship Council recalls that the demand for responsible feed continues to grow worldwide and, with its certification, producers ensure they are prepared to meet this demand, as well as clearly demonstrating their commitment to greater environmental and social responsibility. "Feed mills that haven’t already started the certification process should prioritise obtaining ASC Feed Standard certification," ASC's release points out.
Earlier this month, we learned that Mexican-based feed producers Vimifos and Skretting Chile had been the first feed mills to be certified according to the requirements of the ASC Feed Standard. Vimifos achieved it for three of its facilities in Mexico that produce feed for shrimp, tilapia, trout, and marine fish. Skretting, on the other hand, obtained multi-site certification for two feed mills in Chile that produce feed for salmon.
"With these first certifications, the journey towards more responsibility coming from greater transparency and traceability in feed production has gathered significant momentum," ASC CEO Chris Ninnes said at the moment. Since then, more plants have already undergone audits, starting with four sites in Thailand and Ecuador.
During the announcement of these first compliant feed producers, Ninnes remarked that this was not just a milestone for Vimifos, Skretting, and ASC, but a critical step for the entire industry to reinforce the credibility of fed seafood farming now and in the future. "Our Feed Standard sets a higher benchmark for feed production," he stated.
According to the Aquaculture Stewardship Council, ASC’s Feed Standard tackles one of the biggest potential environmental and social impacts of aquaculture – the production and supply of feed for farmed fish. "With more sites already in the audit process, ASC’s Feed Standard is generating a wave of positive change in feed production and continues to gather momentum," it claims. But what exactly does this new standard consist of?
In line with forthcoming EU regulations, the ASC Feed Standard considers the impacts created on all key ingredient groups and the entire ingredient supply chain, including major agricultural crops such as wheat, corn, and canola, as well as soy and palm oil, and marine ingredients. Moreover, it requires feed mills to meet strict environmental and social requirements, source ingredients from socially responsible suppliers, and use environmentally friendly raw materials.
Launched on June 15, 2021, the ASC Feed Standard came into force on January 14, 2023, and initially, it set a 24-month period for certified farms to transition to compliant feed. As said above, farms will now have an additional ten months to do so.
