Blog

Seafood at its Spring best: your inspiration for a deliciously sustainable Spring brunch 

Whether you are hosting a big dinner or an informal brunch with friends and family, Spring is the perfect opportunity to put fish and seafood on the table – a tasty and light option, with numerous health benefits. And with versatile and tasty fish and seafood, you can make any meal special.  In this blog, […]

Building on Progress: Women Leading Aquaculture’s Future, in Our Own Words 

This International Women’s Day, we celebrate the remarkable women driving transformative change in aquaculture, not just today, but for the future. At ASC, we’re proud to have pioneering women like Patricia, Pla, and Laetitia, shaping a more sustainable and equitable industry.  Women are the backbone of aquaculture, from farm management to global trade with the […]

Celebrating Vietnamese Seafood & Lunar New Year

Lunar New Year 2025 takes place on 29 January and is celebrated by billions of people right across Asia. Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) is taking part in the celebrations this year with a special Vietnamese Lunar New Year collaboration with ASC Chef Ambassador Nina “Teddie” Huynh who has created a suite of delicious iconic recipes […]

Women in Ocean Food Programme: Empowering Change, One Step at a Time 

Patricia Bianchi, AIP and Governance Manager with ASC reflects on her experience of supporting the Women in Ocean Food Programme run by HATCH Blue  When I think about my recent experience of presenting on the Improver Programme by ASC at the HATCH Women in Ocean Food programme in La Paz, Baja California Sur, one word […]

Safeguarding the Planet with Sustainable Aquaculture: How the ASC’s Vision aligns with Davos Discussions

One of the key themes at this year’s World Economic Forum in Davos is Safeguarding the Planet. At ASC, this mission aligns deeply with our core focus: to transform the industry towards environmental sustainability and social responsibility. Achieving this goal requires a holistic approach that acknowledges the critical role of every part of the aquaculture […]

Insights from my participation in an ASC farm site audit

By Laetitia Rosing, Producer Outreach and Regional Manager for the Nordics. ASC operates an independent, third-party certification scheme whereby qualified auditors determine if a farm meets ASC criteria. These auditors are in turn monitored by the independent assurance body Assurance Services International (ASI). A full history of audit reports, including the location of farms, is […]

2024: A Year of Milestones And Success For ASC – And More To Come In 2025!

As 2024 comes to a close, Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) is celebrating a year filled with unique milestones and achievements across the globe. We recognise ASC farms and feed mills and partners around the world who continue to make significant changes towards sustainability, ultimately ensuring that farmed seafood is produced responsibly. Increasing impact Throughout 2024, […]

Celebrate Christmas with our global team’s favourite salmon dishes

Salmon is loved around the world, and that doesn’t stop at Christmas! If you’re looking for Christmas salmon recipes that will wow your guests, you’re in the right place. We asked our ASC teams around the world to share their favourite festive salmon dishes and why they are so special to their community. We hope […]

Human Rights Take Centre Stage in ASC Farm Standard

The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) team is in the final stretch of preparations for the upcoming ASC Farm Standard, set to launch in the first half of 2025. This busy season has seen the team diligently working to put the final touches on the standard, developing a suite of supporting tools and guidance to assist […]

4 reasons oysters deserve a place on your plate

In our experience, oysters are the Marmite of the seafood world – consumers seem to either love them or hate them! We see a lot of questions around whether oysters are healthy choices. Here at ASC we think oysters are under-appreciated and are actually an amazing addition to the diet of any seafood lover. In […]

Blue Foods, Green Solutions: ASC’s Contributions at AQUA 24

The AQUA 24 conference, themed “Blue Foods, Green Solutions,” was held in Copenhagen, Denmark, earlier this year, and brought together over 3,600 participants from 80 countries. ASC was well-represented, actively contributing to the event’s success. It provided an excellent platform for ASC to showcase our work, strengthen connections within the research and industry communities, and […]

ASC Leads the Way in Aquatic Animal Welfare

Top Ranking in 2024 Aquaculture Certification Schemes Aquatic Life Institute recently released the 3rd edition of its Aquaculture Certification Schemes Benchmark, a tool designed to evaluate and compare the animal welfare standards of leading global seafood certification programs. This year, ASC was top-rated in the Benchmark, with a score of 8 out of 10. ASC, […]

Deep dive: the ASC Improver Programme

When you think of responsible seafood farming, you might picture big farms with large networks of distributors and retailers. But these aren’t the only producers; there are actually huge numbers of smaller farms around the world who contribute to the seafood farming industry. And many of these are as conscious of their impact on the […]

Your Impact Matters: ASC celebrates Inclusion Week

Little changes can make big impacts. This year, Aquaculture Stewardship Council celebrates our Inclusion Week with the theme ‘Impact Matters’ highlighting the role of diversity, inclusion and accessibility in making genuine, sustainable change in the workplace and beyond. Throughout the week, ASC prepared activities which are designed to engage employees and foster a more inclusive […]

What is worker voice and why is it so important? 

Whilst ASC is already setting some of the most robust standards in the seafood farming industry, both on environmental and social issues, we are also always working to improve and expand our impact. A key part of continuing to improve the wellbeing of employees on seafood farms is by ensuring their voices are heard and […]

Seafood with purpose: how ASC is driving progress towards the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals

Here at the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) we believe that seafood farming has an important role to play in meeting the needs of a growing global population, but that the industry can and should be meeting this need responsibly and sustainably. To us this means farming in a way that mitigates the social and environmental […]

Building Bridges: ASC’s Exploration of Free, Prior and Informed Consent in Aquaculture

On the 9th of August, as the world celebrates the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, we are reminded of the rich cultural heritage, diverse traditions, and unique ways of life that Indigenous communities contribute to our world. However, we must also acknowledge the challenges these communities face, particularly regarding their rights and participation […]

The ASC label explained

Shopping for seafood can feel like a minefield of different buzz words and colour coded sustainability labels. You want to make the best choice for your family and the planet, but how do you know which label to look for and what they really mean? In this blog we want to help you quieten the […]

Sea lice: how ASC best practice is protecting fish health 

Sea lice may be tiny, but their impact on fish populations can be huge. We know from seafood lovers that sea lice affecting the health of farmed fish is a big concern. And certainly for seafood farms, these parasites represent an ongoing threat to the productivity of their businesses.  In this blog, we’ll be looking […]

Human Rights Issues in the Farmed Seafood Industry and the Role of Certification

By Chris Ninnes, CEO of Aquaculture Stewardship Council In this overview of the challenges faced by the seafood sector and what can be done to improve the social performance of seafood supply chains, Chris draws on 13 years of experience as the CEO of ASC and seven years as deputy CEO and Director of Operations […]

Setting standards for working hours: a pathway to decent work and human rights 

At ASC we find that among the wide range of human and labour rights issues that are included in our standards, one often stands out as more complex to implement and understand: working hours.   Despite its seemingly straightforward nature, the complexities of setting working hour standards in aquaculture pose unique challenges that require careful consideration.  […]

What are ‘blue foods’ and why are they so crucial to our future?

Have you heard the term ‘blue food’? This is a term used by the scientific community to refer to anything we eat that comes from the water, so it covers fish, seafood and seaweed. This includes both wild caught and farmed seafood. Blue foods currently provide essential nutrition to 3.3 billion people worldwide, and are […]

How can we ensure responsible antibiotic use in seafood farming?

When you eat farmed seafood, do you worry about its exposure to antibiotics? It’s a concern we hear often at ASC, and one that can really impact people’s view of farmed fish. After all, we want to make the best choices for our family’s health and diet, and the food we choose to buy is […]

5 easy ways to reduce food waste

Did you know that over 58 million tonnes of food waste is created in the EU each year?* Incredibly, the vast majority of this is waste from individual households buying food that ends up in the bin.** This is a major problem for the planet, but it also means that small changes made by lots […]

How to eat seafood on a budget 

With food prices rising, it’s easy to see seafood as an unnecessary luxury and start cutting it out of your diet. But let’s bust that myth – there are plenty of ways for savvy seafood lovers to still enjoy their fish dishes (and get all the nutritional benefits) without breaking the bank.  Here are our […]

Norwegian Salmon: A Dive into Sustainability with Cermaq’s Sustainability Expert

Most of the salmon we eat in Europe is farmed, and about half of globally farmed salmon is produced in Norway. That’s why we can’t transform fish farming towards more sustainability without thinking about Norwegian salmon. A passion for nature To uncover the journey of Norwegian salmon from ocean to table we sat down with […]

How can we ensure human dignity and wellbeing in aquaculture?

ASC’s commitment to human and labour rights Introduction Aquaculture plays a crucial role in meeting the world’s growing demand for seafood and, like any other industry, faces its own set of challenges. With the celebration of the 75th International Human Rights Day on 10th December, comes an opportunity to reflect on how the rights of […]

5 ways eating salmon supports your health

Is salmon a regular part of your family’s menu? Maybe a slice of beautiful smoked salmon with scrambled eggs and lemon for a lovely weekend breakfast, or a show-stopping salmon en croute for a dinner party? There are so many delicious salmon dishes to consider. But don’t be fooled into thinking we’re just considering your […]

Seafood vs Meat: what will give me the most protein? 

Trying to eat a protein-packed diet? Whether seafood or meat is the best choice will undoubtedly have crossed your mind. Should you be team fish, reeling in the benefits of marine protein, or should chicken or beef be your go-to? It can feel like a meal-planning minefield when you want to be sure you’re making […]

All About Seaweed – Nature’s Superfood

This fun fact might come in handy at your next dinner party: seaweed farming is the world’s fastest growing aquaculture sector. That’s more than shrimp, salmon or any other seafood you may be about to eat. Seaweed plays a critical role in the health of our aquatic ecosystems, yet its multitude of benefits extend far […]

Trout vs salmon – everything you need to know about two nutritional powerhouses

Salmon is one of the most in-demand fish in the world; it’s delicious, works well in all kinds of dishes and cuisines, and has brilliant health benefits. No wonder it has so many fans! Trout – salmon’s close cousin – is perhaps lesser known but is no less flexible or tasty. In this blog we’re […]

Have your say: how the ASC Farm Standard can enhance the protection of the rights of Indigenous people in seafood farming

Aquaculture and Indigenous people Unfortunately, seafood farming has not always been conducted with due respect for Indigenous peoples’ rights. In some places, seafood farming, especially that in marine areas, such as salmon farming, is seen as a violation of traditional territories, and a threat to customary activities such as wild capture fisheries and clam collection. […]

Protecting the rights of Indigenous people

How the ASC Farm Standard can enhance the protection of the rights of Indigenous People in seafood farming The International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples is celebrated on August 9. This day is intended to raise awareness about the rights of Indigenous peoples and their protection and originates from the date of the first […]

From farm to table: a visit to one of the biggest pangasius farms in the Mekong Delta 

By Dennis Wittmann, General Manager DACH Region. We at ASC deal in responsibly farmed seafood, but most of us do so from behind our desks. I recently had the opportunity to step outside of the office and visit an ASC-certified pangasius farm in Vietnam. I was thrilled to experience responsible farming practices firsthand and see […]

Everything You Need to Know about Cooking Shrimp

“I love shrimp but have no idea how to cook them, help!” We hear you – shrimps are delicious as a quick mid-week dinner or a luxurious date night treat, but they can feel intimidating to cook. In this blog we’re answering all your shrimp questions, so you can feel confident cooking and enjoying shrimp […]

Four Easy Changes for an Environmentally Sustainable Diet

Did you know that food production is one of the largest contributors to environmental change? It actually accounts for a third of the greenhouse gases emitted globally. This means that we as individuals can play our part in reducing climate change through the food we choose to eat. The most common recommendation for reducing our […]

Farmed Seafood or Wild? How do you choose?

We want to make the best food choices for ourselves and our families, but how do we figure out what those best choices are? And if we want to protect the environment and promote sustainability through our purchases, it can be even more challenging. Is the right choice for the planet the healthiest choice for […]

The ASC label on seafood: what does it mean?

You may have seen our green label on seafood packaging in your local supermarket. But what choice are you actually making when you buy ASC labelled seafood? In this blog, we’re delving into what the label means for seafood lovers, the standards we set for the farms who are part of our programme, and why […]

How ASC certified seafood is helping to stop deforestation 

We all want to make environmentally responsible decisions when it comes to our diets. The more information we have, the better equipped we are to make these decisions. So here’s a fact that may be news to you: up to 80% of your farmed fish’s climate footprint comes from its feed. Fish feed for the […]

What are Omega 3s, and should they be part of my diet?

Are you getting enough Omega 3s in your diet? Most seafood lovers will have heard this term before, but might not know why Omega 3s are important to their health. It’s actually pretty simple! Let’s take a look at what Omega 3s are, why you need them, and how to ensure you’re getting enough. What […]

Our reflection on a successful Seafood Expo Global 2023

As the world’s largest seafood trade fair, the Seafood Expo Global is a key moment in the year for us at ASC to meet our supporters – supply chain companies, brands, retailers and NGOs alike – in-person, as well as explore new opportunities with new contacts and promote responsible seafood farming through panel discussions and […]

Can you eat the veins in shrimp?

Is the black line on my shrimp a vein or its poop? Amazingly, this is one of the most searched for queries about shrimp! It’s easy to feel put off eating seafood when you see unfamiliar body parts, so let’s demystify what the different black lines are, and get you back to enjoying delicious shrimp […]

Too many nutrients in water are bad for fish farming– here’s how ASC aims to fix that

Monitoring water quality is a crucial topic in fish farming and that’s because the ecological balance of the world’s water resources is extremely delicate. Too much of something could potentially tip the scale and could result in adverse effects in aquaculture. Addressing the risk of eutrophication is one of them. This happens where there are […]

How does salmon get its colour?

Whether on the supermarket shelves or at the fish counter, salmon stands out for its rich, pinkish-orange colour. Where does this distinctive colour come from? Is it natural or artificial? What’s the real colour of farmed salmon? Do farm raised salmon and wild salmon have different colours? To answer this question, we must first take […]

How ASC Promotes Human Rights in Aquaculture

Every year, on the 10th of December, the world celebrates Human Rights Day. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the United Nations in 1948, proclaims the inalienable rights that every human being is entitled to, no matter who they are or where they are. Around the world, whether at a global or at […]

What do our stakeholders think about ASC?

Delving into the findings from ASC’s first annual stakeholder survey. As part of ASC’s commitment to continuous improvement, in the first quarter of 2022 we ran a stakeholder survey designed to identify where ASC is doing well, areas where improvements could be made and where future challenges and opportunities lie – both for ASC as […]

ASC reps share fresh insights in Aquaculture Europe 2022

Focusing on innovative solutions in a changing world, the Aquaculture Europe 2022 which took place in Rimini, Italy in September was a good opportunity to connect, discuss, and be inspired by fresh ideas within the aquaculture sector. Aquaculture Europe is one of the leading international scientific conferences in Europe organised by the European Aquaculture Society […]

What’s Behind Your Seafood Label?

How do you know if the seafood you buy is responsibly raised? There’s no doubt our love of seafood is growing, and it’s easy to see why. Not only are fish, shellfish and seaweed amazingly tasty, they also contribute to healthy lifestyles and immune function. Many types of seafood are rich in easily digested protein, […]

ASC Around the World: Sharing stories about responsible seafood

There’s always a good story to share about responsible seafood. At the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC), we don’t run out of them. Around the world, there is an increasing awareness of seafood sustainability, and also of the ASC logo among consumers. Through our campaigns across different global regions, we aim to strengthen this even further. […]

Reconnecting with farmers post-lockdown: caring and sharing through the ASC Improver Programme

By Pla Duangchai As the world slowly opens up again after more than two years of countries closing their borders, opportunities like a farm visit can mean a lot not only for the farmers but also for us who work in the ASC Improver Programme (IP). For me, this meant a chance to reconnect and […]

Our take on the latest State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture report

The Food and Agriculture Organisation’s (FAO) biennial State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture (SOFIA) report is an important reference document for the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC), enabling us to keep track of the scale and scope of our work to drive up standards across the industry. The latest report was published at the end of […]

ASC Shrimp Summit creates certified connections across supply chain

Inaugural Shrimp Summit A Success for Certified Seafood On July 12-13, 2022 the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) hosted its inaugural 2022 ASC Shrimp Summit in Guayaquil, Ecuador. The first-of-its-kind event served to unite North American retailers with Ecuadorian producers of ASC-certified and labeled shrimp – offering an intimate look at the supply chain right where […]

How to accelerate seafood sustainability? 10 key insights from NASF 2022

For the second year, ASC was delighted to sponsor the sustainability seminar at the North Atlantic Seafood Forum (NASF) in Bergen, Norway, alongside NASF, the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and the Global Seafood Alliance (GSA). This year’s seminar was a hybrid event with speakers both on-site and joining remotely, as well as an in-person and […]

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and why you need to know about them

Sustainability has been a buzz word for some time now as we realise the impact humans have on our planet. We need to protect tomorrow from what we do today, or, as the United Nations (UN) World Commission on Environment and Development defines it: “Sustainable development … meets the needs of the present without compromising […]

A Responsible Guide to Wine and Seafood Pairing

The worlds of wine and seafood are wide, but they have a lot in common when sustainability is on the table. According to the Wine Institute, U.S. wine drinkers consumed over three gallons of wine on average in 2021, while Americans overall enjoyed more than 19 pounds of seafood per person, with the consumption of […]

Saluting Mangroves on International Day for Biological Diversity

Today it’s International Day for Biological Diversity – a day to think about the importance of biodiversity to the natural world – and to us humans. Biodiversity is an important subject for us at ASC – and our standards help to protect it in a number of ways. Our Salmon Standard, for example, requires that […]

15 Facts about the ASC

What are the health benefits of omega-3 and where can you find it?

You have probably read about the health benefits of omega-3, and that it can be found in fish. But for many of us, that’s about as much as we know. So, what exactly is omega-3, is fish really a good source of it, and why do we need it in our diets? Read on to […]

Adventures in data sharing, part two – integrating the world of certification

ASC has teamed up with Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP) and Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch on a project that will enhance integration between certification and ratings schemes. The project, Integration of seafood certification and jurisdictional assurance models, is funded by an ISEAL Innovations Fund grant supported by State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO). Recently we […]

Why pangasius isn’t a ‘garbage fish’, and four more myths busted

After our mythbusters about farmed salmon, we’re now turning our attention to a white fish that may be the victim of even more myths and scare-stories: the humble pangasius. The pangasius goes by many names including basa fish, swai or river cobbler. Bad PR in the past may be one reason for its many names. […]

Adventures in data sharing – our project to integrate the world of certification

ASC has teamed up with Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP) and Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch on a project that will better integrate aquaculture certification and ratings schemes. The project is funded by an ISEAL Innovations Fund grant supported by State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO). Here, ASC’s Jill Swasey and SFP’s Paul Bulcock share some […]

Public consultations: why are they important and how do we make them count?

Public consultations are carried out by all kinds of organisations for all kinds of reasons. We certainly make good use of them at ASC. But what makes them so important? Read on to find out more… Public consultations are particularly vital for organisations like ASC whose focus is on building trust with many stakeholders. In […]

Five more myths about salmon farming – and the truth behind them

Last year we decided to set the record straight by setting out the truth behind some common myths around salmon farming. It turns out there are so many of these misconceptions, we couldn’t fit them all into one blog. So here are a few more myths that need busting about salmon farming. At ASC we […]

Why Seafood Watch still considers ASC salmon from British Columbia a ‘buy option’

If you have seen that Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch has rated farmed salmon from British Columbia as ‘red’ in its latest ratings, you would be forgiven for thinking that meant all salmon from this area should be off the menu – but you’d also be wrong. In fact, Seafood Watch rates all ASC certified […]

It’s Human Rights Day. But what does that have to do with seafood?

Do you know what the most translated document in history is? It’s not any religious holy book, and it’s not an ancient masterpiece like The Art of War, and believe it or not, it’s not even Harry Potter. All of the above have been translated countless times, but not as many as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, […]

Have you heard these five myths about salmon farming? Here’s the truth behind them…

There are plenty of criticisms out there of salmon farming, claiming it is bad for the environment. At ASC we don’t pretend any kind of fish farming is totally free from impacts – no food production is – and it’s exactly these impacts that form the basis of the many requirements in our strict standards […]

Celebrating World Soil Day

It seems to come around sooner every December. No, not Christmas, but UN World Soil Day. Why is there a whole day dedicated to soil? You may be surprised at just how important soil is to life on this planet.  Believe it or not, we rely very heavily on soil for all manner of reasons, particularly […]

Collaboration leads to certification for Japanese seabream producer

There are no shortcuts to ASC certification – the only way to achieve recognition is by meeting all of the requirements of the most stringent standards in farmed seafood. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t any help available to farms that are determined to meet these rigorous standards, as a recently certified seabream farm in […]

How we’re helping aquaculture lead by example on climate change

A blog by Robert Parker, ASC’s Senior Co-ordinator – Greenhouse Gas Emissions When the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) takes place in Glasgow this November, it will be the 26th meeting following the establishment of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change at Rio de Janeiro in 1992, and after so many years real action is needed more than ever. That has been made abundantly after another year marked by extreme weather events […]

World Food Day: how we can all fight food insecurity

October 16 is World Food Day, and its message of ‘our actions are our future’ encourages people to help fight food insecurity with their personal choices. Sound overwhelming? Don’t worry, this is exactly what ASC aims to help you do. This is the second World Food Day to be commemorated under the shadow of the pandemic. […]

What is a stakeholder and why are they so important?

At ASC we like our stakeholders, and we like talking about them. In fact, a quick search of the ASC website for the word ‘stakeholder’ returns over 1,500 results. We’re not the only ones: a search of Google’s Ngram Viewer, which tracks the usage of words and phrases in books over time, shows a very […]

It’s World Heart Day – here’s how seafood can help you heart

World Heart Day is celebrated every year on 29 September and every year has a different focus, but the key message is always the same: look after your heart to help drive down cardiovascular disease, which remains the number one cause of death around the world. This year’s campaign focuses on finding new and innovative […]

International Youth Day: What is it? When is it? And what’s it got to do with aquaculture?

It can be hard to keep track of all the international days of awareness, but don’t worry – ASC is always here to help you out. Today’s lesson is on International Youth Day, which is marked every August 12, and should mean a lot to anyone who cares about the future of the planet, for […]

Remote But Relevant: Here’s What We Learned at Our Fascinating Online Sustainability Seminar

As part of the North Atlantic Seafood Forum (NASF) that took place last month, the ASC was proud to sponsor a seminar on sustainability alongside the MSC and GAA. With only a few months of experience in the sector, the forum provided a brilliant chance for a new joiner like me to hear about and […]

Can Responsible Aquaculture Benefit US Climate Policy? We Think So

As awareness of responsible aquaculture’s wide-ranging benefits increases in the US, ASC is moving the conversation forward in more ways than one – particularly when it comes to climate change. This May, ASC added its voice to a growing chorus of US advocates imploring the Biden Administration to make responsible aquaculture part of its efforts […]

Suspense, Responsible Seafood, and a Brilliant New Campaign

Question: what do Tuesdays, suspenseful TV dramas, and responsible seafood have in common? The answer is: Japan. Ok, we’ll give you a bit more information. These three very disparate themes are brought together by a brilliant new campaign from WWF Japan, tapping into the growing demand for ASC and MSC certified seafood in the country. […]

Explained: What is RAS Aquaculture?

Aquaculture is an innovative industry – it doesn’t stand still for long. Fish farming has traditionally been done in either ponds or sea cages – in fact this practice goes back many millennia. It is still the case that the vast majority of farms today are of this variety – what are sometimes known as […]

ASC’s 10th Anniversary Book

In 2020 we were 10 years old, and as we couldn’t get together with our partners, ASC certified companies, and everyone who supports us, we decided to celebrate by writing a book! This is a beautiful, illustrated coffee table book, full of interviews, anecdotes, delicious recipes and stunning pictures. It looks back at the people […]

Seaspiracy: Why We Believe Responsible Aquaculture is More Important than Ever

At ASC we’ve been working to improve standards in farmed seafood for a decade, so we are always pleased to see people talking about issues around responsible seafood. This is the topic of a new documentary on Netflix, Seaspiracy. We share the filmmakers’ passion for the oceans and for improving the world’s food systems. But […]

Looking Back At An Unforgettable Year

Let’s begin with an apology: we’re going to be looking back at 2020, which is a year that many would like to forget and instead focus on the future. That’s a very understandable feeling, and we don’t want to spend any time dwelling on you-know-what, but we do want to look back at what we […]

Vietnam’s First ASC Clam Farm Celebrates Certification

Vietnam is one of the biggest producers of ASC certified seafood with hundreds of certified farms, but one company still managed to achieve a first for the country last year. Lenger Seafood Vietnam is a clam producer based in the Nam Dinh province in the north of the country, and following certification by independent conformity […]

What’s Seafood Got To Do With Human Rights? More Than You Think…

Do you know what the most translated document in history is? It’s not any religious holy book, and it’s not an ancient masterpiece like The Art of War, and believe it or not, it’s not even Harry Potter. All of the above have been translated countless times, but not as many as the Universal Declaration […]

How Do We Know We’re Making a Difference? The Challenges of Measuring Impact

Here at ASC, we collectively work on transforming fish farming towards environmental sustainability and social responsibility. As an organization with relationships across the industry, we can’t just try hard and hope for the best. We want to know whether our work is making a difference, and how we can learn and adapt where we are […]

How ASC Farms Help Protect Vital Mangrove Forests: Pacific Reef in Australia

Mangrove forests are among the world’s most productive ecosystems and healthy mangroves are a precious, almost priceless resource. Mangroves can quite literally save lives during storms and extreme weather events but losing mangroves also means losing livelihoods, food security, valuable timber production, coastal erosion defence and one of the most efficient and important carbon stores […]

How Our Latest Update Keeps Stakeholders at the Heart of ASC Certification

Last month we published a new process for variance requests to the ASC standards. I will admit that doesn’t sound like the most interesting publication in the world, but before you look away I’d like to explain why this process is such an exciting development for the ASC programme, and the hard work we put […]

Why World Food Day Is as Important as Ever in Its Seventy Fifth Year

Today is World Food Day – and although 2020 is a year like no other, the principles and messages behind this annual commemoration remain vitally important. Indeed, the vulnerable communities around the world who most need better access to nutritious food are often the most likely to be hit by the economic shocks and supply […]

How ASC Farms Help Protect Vital Mangrove Forests: Omarsa in Ecuador

Mangrove forests are among the world’s most productive ecosystems and healthy mangroves are a precious, almost priceless resource. Mangroves can quite literally save lives during storms and extreme weather events but losing mangroves also means losing livelihoods, food security, valuable timber production, coastal erosion defence and one of the most efficient and important carbon stores […]

We’ve Been Working Hard on New Fish Welfare Requirements – Here’s the Latest

The welfare of fish has been traditionally much less well understood than that of land-based farm animals – but at ASC we’ve been working hard to develop new requirements to safeguard the welfare of farmed fish, and we’ve been heartened to see a growing interest in this topic. By Janneke Aelen, ASC Fish Welfare Coordinator […]

Treat Your Heart to Some Responsibly Sourced Fish for World Heart Day

A joint blog by ASC and the Seafood Nutrition Partnership It’s hard at the moment to focus on health problems that aren’t you-know-what, but taking care of our long-term health has never been more important – and World Heart Day is a great opportunity to look at how our diets can make a big difference […]

5 Things We Learned from the M&E Report

Earlier this month we published our first Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) report. This is just one output from our Monitoring and Evaluation programme, which aims to measure the impacts and positive change that ASC standards have on the environment, farm workers, and local communities.  The report sets out all kinds of trends, facts, and case […]

Spice Up Your Summer With These Simple Seafood Recipes

This may not have been the summer any of us had planned, and maybe you’re stuck at home when you should be enjoying a holiday right now. If so, all is not lost: you can still treat yourself to some delicious seafood. For many people, seafood is something to be eaten as a treat in […]

What’s the Point of Certifying Bivalves? Here Are a Few Reasons…

Mussels, oysters, scallops – they aren’t the most expressive of animals, they don’t move around much, and they feed by ‘filtering’ the water – which some scientists think could be put to good use in efforts to clean up pollution. They’re all bivalves – that’s a class of molluscs with hard shells in two parts […]

This Report is Crammed With Fascinating Facts About the Seafood Industry

Did you know that 71% of the world’s fish is consumed in Asia? Or that the global amount of fish eaten per person has more than doubled since 1961? Those are just a couple of the fascinating facts we discovered in the latest publication about the seafood industry from the United Nations Food and Agricultural […]

Diving, Fishing, Studying, Collecting: Meet the ASC Staff With a Passion for the Oceans

Every June 8 is World Oceans Day, an annual celebration of the oceans and a reminder of just how important it is that we cherish and protect them. At ASC our mission is to drive up standards in seafood farming to minimise environmental impacts on our oceans, rivers and lakes (among many other things, of […]

Two Important Environmental Days on One Date

June 5 is an important date for those of us who love the oceans, for two reasons. It’s World Environment Day, which you may have heard of, but it’s also the UN’s International Day for the Fight Against Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing, which you may not have. International Day for the Fight Against […]

What Our New Salmon Standard Review Will Be Looking at, and Why It’s Important

In the last week of April, a two-day meeting (remote, of course) marked the start of a process looking at how the ASC Salmon Standard helps protect both farmed and wild salmon and sea trout against parasites, and whether the latest science and research can perhaps help us do things differently and more efficiently. By […]

Win-Win: Supporting a Certified Producer and Enjoying Delicious Seriola

Like in other countries, entrepreneurs and businesses in the Netherlands are being affected by the coronavirus pandemic, and ASC certified producer Kingfish Zeeland is one of those adapting and using novel methods to continue their business. By Dennis Wittmann, ASC Outreach Manager Germany, Austria, Switzerland As we all know, the measures taken to restrict the […]

Helping Promote Health and Safety for Seafood Workers

The ASC logo indicates responsibly produced seafood – but what exactly does that mean? Understandably, many people think mostly about the environmental side of things – seafood that was produced without unnecessary chemicals or antibiotics, by a farmer that monitored their impact on the surrounding environment. What you might not think about when you see […]

It’s Earth Day – Here’s How You Can Fight Climate Change With Your Food Choices

Today is Earth Day, and this year’s is a big milestone, marking fifty years since millions of people took part in protests on April 22 1970, helping to kick off the modern environmental movement. Earth Day is now marked every year on April 22, and while a lot has happened since 1970, it is of […]

The principles of a credible standard according to ISEAL

ISEAL is the global membership organisation for ambitious, collaborative and transparent sustainability systems. Their Codes of Good Practice provide a globally recognised framework, defining practices for effective and credible sustainability systems. Currently, the ASC is the only aquaculture certification programme to meet all three of the ISEAL Codes of Good Practice, which focus on the core elements of a sustainability system: […]

Traceability – Is your seafood really what it says on the tin?

Seafood is one of the most valuable and traded commodities in the world and a major source of nourishment. It plays a critical role in providing healthy and affordable proteins to billions of people worldwide and that comes with increasingly complex global supply chains. In its journey from farm to fork, seafood and fish products may pass […]

9 good reasons to choose the ASC logo

Nine good reasons why the ASC is the responsible choice for seafood The ASC sets strict standards for fish farming (aquaculture), to ensure that farmers are working to reduce harm to the environment, protect the rights and wellbeing of their employees, and respect the communities in which they operate.  To achieve ASC certification, farms must […]

Wild Fish in Aquaculture Feed: What Are the Facts?

At ASC we are always looking at the direct and indirect impacts of aquaculture and reviewing how we help the industry minimise them. This is the reason behind our imminent Feed Standard, which will be applicable to all ASC certified farms and requires unprecedented traceability and sustainability of all of the ingredients of the feed […]

A Little Advice from a Work From Home Veteran

By Contessa Kellogg-Winters Over my nearly five years of working with ASC, more than half of which has been done over an ocean away from most of my team, I feel that I’ve become a bit of a pro at the working from home (WFH) game. Just a note that you can also scroll to […]

Climate Change on the Agenda at Vienna Conference

By Desirée Pesci Climate change could have far-reaching consequences for many fish farmers, and the solutions will require urgent and collaborative action across multiple sectors. In that spirit, ASC recently attended the Diplomatic Academy Students’ Initiative Conference (DASICON) in Vienna. The conference took place on February 28 and is organised by the students of the Diplomatische […]

Hear from the women working in aquaculture

What’s it like to be a woman working in aquaculture? March 8 is International Women’s Day, and we thought it was a perfect chance to ask two of ASC’s own employees their experiences.   Renée Hamel is ASC’s Technical & Operations Support Manager. For her, sustainable seafood is a lifelong passion: ‘I grew up in rural […]

Two Decades Defying Expectations: Vinh Hoan’s Founder and Chairwoman Truong Thi Le Khanh

The seafood industry has been described as “women intensive but male dominated”, and despite around half of fisheries and aquaculture workers being women (and up to 90% of processing workers), the majority of senior positions in the industry are filled by men. As with many other industries, it’s clear that more needs to be done […]

Jersey Oyster’s Technical Manager Opens Up About ASC Certification

It’s hard to imagine a more scenic setting for aquaculture than Jersey Oyster Company’s site in the Royal Bay of Grouville on the south coast of the island, overlooked by Mont Orgueil Castle. It’s here that the company’s oysters come to maturity on 40 hectares of intertidal trestles, benefitting from the rich nutrients brought into […]

ASC Shares Expertise with EU Group on the Welfare and Conservation of Animals

When fish welfare was discussed at a recent meeting of EU politicians, ASC’s Head of Standards & Science Michiel Fransen was on hand to deliver expertise based on ASC’s ongoing work in this area. While debates on animal welfare in the agriculture industry have been underway for many decades, until recently there has been less […]

It’s the United Nations World Day of Social Justice: Here’s Why Social Justice is Important

Today is the United Nations World Day of Social Justice – but what is social justice, and why do we need an international day for it? The principles of social justice include ideas such as equality of opportunity, fair distribution of wealth, and removing barriers that people face based on gender, age, race, religion, disability, […]

Five Ways to Enjoy ASC Certified Seafood this Valentine’s Day

Do you have plans for this Valentine’s Day, or do you prefer to pretend it isn’t happening? Whether you’re an unapologetic romantic who loves making February 14 a special occasion, would rather have a quiet night in, or will just be hanging out with friends, we’ve got some recipe ideas just for you. The origins […]

Geographical Information Systems: A Picture is Worth More Than a Thousand Datasets

A little more than a year ago, my colleague from the Program Assurance Team wrote a blog about the importance of knowing the location of ASC certified farms. What has become of this project, and where will it go in the future? By Laura Guthschmidt, GIS Coordinator Last year we had the intention of collecting […]

Seafood, Surplus, and Family: New Year Celebrations in China, Vietnam and Korea

Let there be fish every year! That’s what you might hear at a Chinese New Year meal – because the Chinese word for fish is a homophone for the word for surplus. So the phrase ‘Let there be surpluses every year’ sounds the same as ‘Let there be fish every year’, and is often said […]

Seaganism: Flash in the Pan or the Next Big Diet Trend?

It wouldn’t be January without learning about a new kind of diet, right? And just when you think you’ve heard of them all, a new one comes along. We like to stay ahead of trends here at ASC, and we also love seafood (believe it or not), so when we heard of a new diet […]

ASC Continues its Christmas Seafood World Tour

By Jack Cutforth, ASC Media Manager At ASC this month we’ve been celebrating some of the diverse seafood traditions celebrated in different countries. Last time we covered France and Australia, and we’re continuing our journey in Ecuador. Read Part One here. Ecuador: Feliz Navidad! Like Australia, Ecuador is another country where you’re not likely to […]

Oysters on Ice, Barbecued Prawns: Christmas Seafood Around the World

By Jack Cutforth, ASC Media Manager Complete the following sentence: “Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without…” The chances are, your ending to that sentence will depend on where in the world you are reading this from. It is a time of year that is so dominated by tradition, it’s easy to forget that other people’s traditions […]

Stuck for Inspiration this Christmas? Here are Salmon Recipes for Every Festive Occasion

For many of us, it wouldn’t be Christmas without salmon. Christmas is certainly a time of traditions – and arguing whose family tradition is best – but what if you love salmon as a festive treat but want to try it in a new way, or impress guests with a new dish? Or maybe you […]

ASC’s Marcelo Hidalgo Treats Colleagues to Traditional Shrimp Ceviche

Staff at ASC’s headquarters in Utrecht were treated to a delicious ceviche featuring ASC certified shrimp, courtesy of Marcelo Hidalgo, ASC Standard Coordinator. Marcelo whipped up his signature dish, a shrimp ceviche, in the office kitchen, using ASC certified products. ASC staff are no strangers to seafood, but all were impressed with Marcelo’s handiwork. Now, […]

Responsible Seafood Must be Part of Climate Change Solution

Last week’s report from the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) made for stark reading for anyone concerned about climate change. And we would argue that it should be cause for attention even for those that do not. If you haven’t seen it yet, the report focuses on land use and climate change, and […]

NEW INFORMATION UNDERPINS ASC’S INNOVATIVE APPROACH TO REDUCING SEA LICE TREATMENTS

When the salmon standard was originally drafted there was limited information available on how often salmon were treated to remove sea lice. ASC has more recently been able to collect a wide range of treatment information and it has been possible to design new ASC requirements based on the statistical analysis of this data. Records […]

ASC Improves Consistency of its Approach to Assessing Freshwater Salmonids

Introduction The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) Freshwater Trout Standard has been updated and strengthened following a rigorous multi-stakeholder, science-based review process, as part of ASC’s ongoing commitment to continuously improve standards and adapt to changes in industry best practice. The ASC operates a number of standards dedicated to different species groups and production systems; including […]

World Oceans Day: Fighting Ghost Gear and Plastic Waste

This Saturday people around the globe will come together to celebrate World Oceans Day, the annual observation to help protect and conserve the world’s oceans for a better future. A healthy world ocean is critical to our survival. Oceans cover three quarters of the Earth’s surface, and contain 97 per cent of the Earth’s water. […]

The current state of sea lice management

By Ron Tardiff, Science and Standards Intern In order for ASC to determine whether to revise sea lice management indicators in the Salmon Standard, it is helpful to have an understanding of the baseline requirements in each salmon producing country and then reflect on the current ASC requirements to assess if a revision is needed. […]

Earth Day and Easter

It’s fair to say that many people around the world will have a busy weekend of travelling and seeing family coming up. Passover begins on Friday, while many countries will be enjoying a long weekend for Easter. So you’d be forgiven for forgetting about another special event happening this Monday – Earth Day, an international […]

Pacific Reef Fisheries’ Environmental Officer discusses certification and the many ways to enjoy cobia

One of the companies that’s been celebrating Sustainable Seafood Week in Australia is Pacific Reef Fisheries. Based in the small town of Ayr, Queensland, Pacific Reef Fisheries is the first cobia and prawn farm in Australian to be ASC certified. We spoke to Kristian Mulholland, their Environmental Officer, about the benefits of certification, the future […]

How does ASC measure its impact? An introduction to Monitoring and Evaluation

ASC’s mission is to “transform aquaculture towards environmental sustainability and social responsibility”. Having a well-defined mission is so important – but it’s not enough on its own. Because if we want to keep improving our own performance, we need to know how far we’ve come in achieving that mission.  By Douglas Tenison-Collins As with any […]

A day in the life … Meet Vân Roetert, our head of Programme Assurance

Four years ago, Vietnamese-born Vân Roetert joined the ASC, and in May last year she set up our programme assurance team to ensure that integrity was at the forefront of ASC’s agenda. We caught up with her to find out more about the work of her department. By Nicki Holmyard “Sustainability certification is a complex business […]

A day in the life – meet Janneke Aelen our Standards Coordinator

Dutch born Janneke Aelen is one of our latest recruits and started working with ASC in October 2018 as a standards coordinator in the Standards and Science team. By Nicki Holmyard “I was hired to work on fish welfare issues, and feel extremely lucky to have landed this job, which makes best use of my background […]

ASC salmon is a responsible and climate-friendly choice

Today is the kick-off of the Think Fish Week in France. A campaign week in which we want to make French consumers aware that they have the choice to buy sustainable and responsible seafood, by choosing fish with an ASC or MSC label. This way you contribute to a healthy future of our oceans, lakes […]

An introduction to the Programme assurance team

In September 2018 I joined the ASC Programme Assurance (PA) team as an intern, and now that I’m acquainted with the many activities of ASC’s newest team I thought I’d give you all a taste of what we’re up to.    By Olaf Kattenpoel Oude Heerink   The PA team is charged with a wide variety […]

Aquaculture – a practice with an ancient past

Aquaculture is sometimes referred to as a young industry – and while it’s true that as an industry it has really started to expand in the last three decades, the practice of farming fish has been around a lot longer than you might think – possibly even eight thousand years. Written by Jack Cutforth If you […]

New tool provides accurate farm location information

What is the first information you expect to see in an ASC farm audit report? You will probably want to know what the farm produces and where the farm is located. Without this basic information, I think any report is frankly useless.   By Dennis Wittmann, Assurance coordinator    The ASC standards focus on both […]

Operational reviews: tool to ensure ongoing improvements

ASC standards are the result of an extremely thorough development process, but our programme isn’t static and we are always looking for opportunities to adapt to changes in the industry. This is where operational reviews come in.  By Marcelo Hidalgo and Haruko Horii Operational reviews are one of ASC’s many tools to ensure ongoing improvements, […]

Animal welfare: an important topic

In the livestock industry, animal welfare is a widely discussed topic. Multiple schemes have been created to address the strong opinions held by some consumers regarding the treatment of the various terrestrial animals we produce for consumption.  By Janneke Aelen  As the aquaculture industry expands rapidly and scientific knowledge about many of the animals involved evolves, […]

World Food Day: A Beginner’s Guide

Do you know what’s special about today’s date? If your answer is that it’s two weeks until Halloween, you’re technically correct – but you’ve forgotten about an even more important commemoration: World Food Day. Don’t worry though, our beginner’s guide to this annual celebration will bring you up to speed. Starting with the most obvious […]

Innovations in the Scottish salmon industry

Scotland is known for its wild beauty, strong cultural traditions and for several stand-out signature dishes—salmon chief amongst them. Naturally, any trip to the country will always be good fun. Due to its standing as a world leader in the aquaculture industry a trip to the north can also be an opportunity for learning. This […]

ASC workshop brings together shrimp producers and retailers to share knowledge

The ASC’s theory of change aims to use market forces, generating demand for responsibly produced seafood, rewarding responsible producers and incentivising more farms to work towards the ASC’s robust standards. Generating demand of course requires enough supply to meet it, and a recent workshop in Thailand aimed to bring these complementary sides of the ASC’s […]

What we learned from the State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture report

The Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) recently published The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2018 (SOFIA), which as you may have guessed from the title is a summary of the latest official statistics on fisheries and aquaculture. The SOFIA reports have been published every two years since 1994 and as […]

Reviewing our approach to sea lice

By Ron Tardiff, Science and Standards Intern In June, I joined the ASC as a Science and Standards Intern conducting research on best (but also worst) practices in farm siting globally as well as sea lice management in the salmon industry. I have just completed the first year of my Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree […]

Promoting biodiversity: ASC brings aquaculture expertise to UN Food and Agricultural Organisation dialogues

The ASC represented global aquaculture with a keynote speech at a multi-stakeholder dialogue on biodiversity hosted by the Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) in May. The Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue on Biodiversity Mainstreaming across Agricultural Sectors was held at the FAO’s headquarters in Rome from 29 – 31 May, and attendees included government […]

It’s World Oceans Day!

Do you ever think about the vital role oceans play for life on earth?  The oceans provide 50% of our oxygen and may be home to as much as 75-80% of the living species of this world, but no one is sure since there are so many species yet to be discovered in its vast […]

The ASC raises awareness about responsible seafood at SIAL 2018

On 16th May ASC hosted a cooking demonstration at SIAL 2018 in Shangai, China. SIAL is Asia’s largest food innovation exhibition and this year ASC attended for the first time to introduce the programme to more than 100,000 attendees from 67 countries. ASC introduced themselves to the attendees with an information session and cooking demonstration […]

GSI members have reduced medicine use, incorporated more sustainable feed

Transparency: GSI publishes Sustainability data The Global Salmon Initiative (GSI) has published online in April its 5th set of (2017) sustainability data, presented per company and per region, which covers 14 key sustainability indicators. The pre-competitive and CEO-led GSI currently comprises 17 salmon farming companies – representing ~55% of the global salmon production industry – […]

Bamboo Sushi becomes first restaurant in USA to feature ASC logo

Patrons of Bamboo Sushi in Oregon will be the very first to in America to order from a menu featuring the ASC logo. This mark can only be found on seafood that is responsibly produced according to the highest environmental and social standard for farmed seafood in the world. The national debut of our logo […]

Five Things We Saw at an ASC Certified Salmon Farm in Norway

Consumers all over the world love salmon. Some  of it comes from salmon farms along the coastlines of Norway. You might have seen some documentaries on the salmon industry – including some that criticise how farmed salmon is produced. That is why we invited a handful of journalists from various European countries to come visit […]

Why Rio 2016’s Embrace of Certified Seafood is Important

There is nothing quite like the excitement of the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games. Every four years, we join in a global celebration and get swept up in the joy of human excellence and the spirit of peace and hope that led Baron Pierre de Coubertin to establish the modern Olympics in Athens, Greece in […]

CELEBRATING THE FIRST ASC CERTIFIED FISHERY IN JAPAN: Some Personal Reflections by John White, Director for Development, ASC

Photo: WWF Japan I may never have met Kiyohiro Gotoh if he had not decided to have his hair cut on the afternoon of 11th March 2011.  At 2.46pm on that Friday afternoon an earthquake started. The lights went out at the barbers shop. Clearly, he told me, he knew that this was a big […]

For the Future of the Ocean

From the time we are very young, no matter where in the world we may live, we are told of the importance of the ocean. As we grow up we begin to understand why. The ocean is the very heart of our planet. It is home to countless species, it plays a major role in […]

A Day in the Life of: Standards and Certification Coordinator, Haruko Horii

My life’s journey brought me to the Netherlands six years ago. Having attained a social science degree from Hosei University in Japan, and after learning Portuguese at Macau University in China and Coimbra University in Portugal, I wanted a new academic challenge in a different country. So I enrolled in the International Development Studies master […]

In Celebration of Earth Day 2016

On April 22 each year, the world celebrates Earth Day. The annual event is a time to think critically about the ways our choices— both individually and collectively— affect the natural environment, and to take action to preserve it. Earth Day is special for its ability to spur world-wide conversations about the impact of human […]

A Day in the Life of: Communications Intern Raili Laansalu

My co-students and I always joke about who brings the most coffee and does the most scanning at their internship. Well, even though coffee (drinking) and scanning take up some time at my internship,  it is not all I do at the ASC. As part of my Media and Entertainment Management studies I am required […]

More certifiers accredited as more farms enter the ASC programme

By Kim Thanh Nguyen, ASC Trainer I have worked in the seafood industry for almost 15 years in a variety of roles, including aquaculture auditing, factory quality assurance, fishery research and running a consultancy company, Kim Delta, based in Vietnam that provides training for the seafood industry in sustainability. The number of farms seeking ASC […]

The principles behind the ASC standards

By Bas Geerts, ASC Standards Director I often get asked what the ASC programme does and doesn’t cover and why. The ASC label on products assures buyers that their seafood purchase has been produced in an environmentally and socially responsible manner. Making sure that seafood is responsibly produced is of paramount importance for ASC. A […]

Welcome to ASC’s blog

The ASC has been on Twitter and LinkedIn for a little while now, however, we can’t always provide the information you need in enough detail to be helpful via these channels. On this blog we’ll be discussing the ASC programme, what it means, the farms, the science and more. Blogs will be from ASC staff and […]