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 stakeholders in the transition to the new framework. These resources are designed to facilitate understanding and implementation, making it easier for farms to align with ASC’s commitment to responsible aquaculture.

Today, on Human Rights Day, we are reminded of the ultimate purpose of the work we do. This day brings an opportunity to step back and look at this work in a much bigger context. As we reflect on our mission, we recognise the significant role our new Farm Standard can play in respecting human rights in seafood farming across the world.

What is in the new Farm Standard?

The ASC Farm Standard consists of four principles: legal, environmental, social, and animal welfare. The development of Principle 3, which addresses social responsibility, is the one that ASC’s Human Rights Team has been busy leading.

It addresses a wide range of social criteria aimed at respecting the human rights of those who work in the aquaculture industry, and those living in communities that may be impacted by seafood farming operations.

The aquaculture industry employs over 60 million people and is a major contributor to people’s livelihoods and communities. As with any industry, seafood farming can have negative impacts on people’s wellbeing if proper practices are not put in place and prioritised.

The ASC Farm Standard emphasises the importance of adhering to 13 key criteria that encourage farmers to evaluate their internal practices and their impact on surrounding communities. The Standard requires farmers to examine their recruitment practices, employment terms and conditions, and working conditions. It empowers farmers to not only enhance their own practices but also positively impact the communities they are part of.

What is different from the current ASC species Standards?

The ASC species Standards all include some important requirements on social responsibility, but the ASC Farm Standard presents a much more comprehensive overview, covering more topics and at more depth than the species standards.

Some criteria and indicators are new to every species standard, and some are already covered by some species standards. ASC has produced a Farm Standard comparison tool on our website, which gives a clear overview of the changes by by standard.

 

What are the key international instruments that the ASC Farm Standard align with?

The basis of the ASC social responsibility requirements in the new Farm Standard is found in the key international instruments for human and labour rights, including the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, and the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs).

These international labour standards set out the minimum social standards agreed upon by key players in the global economy and support governments and employers in conducting business responsibly and to a high standard.

The UN Declaration of Human Rights is the most widely recognised human rights document, something that is celebrated on this Human Rights Day, and serves as a foundation for the ASC Farm Standard. It provides a universal benchmark that we can reference for the framework of the both the Standard and the development of training materials and guidance documents.

The UNGPs provide guidelines for both states and businesses, and we draw on their approach for the development of the Standard. The ASC Farm Standard introduces a requirement that is new to ASC Standards, but is firmly rooted in the UNGPs, asking producers to develop a human rights policy, stating their position on some key human rights issues, ensuring that it is shared with stakeholders and that employees are trained on it. Setting out a strong commitment to respecting human rights is critical for achieving improvements in this area.

The ILO’s Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work sets out the prevention of forced labour, the prevention of child labour, the prevention of discrimination, protections for freedom of association and collective bargaining, and health and safety. Principle 3 reflects these foundational values and aligns with ILO conventions across the criteria in the Standard.

What is the benefit of following the new ASC Farm Standard’s social requirements?

While standards and certification can sometimes be perceived as costly, they have been shown to enhance productivity, employee satisfaction, and economic stability. Having minimum wages, good and safe working conditions, social protection and access to freedom of association and collective bargaining can increase employee satisfaction and consequently, improved performance. Aligning with the new ASC Farm Standard can lead to benefits such as reduced staff turnover, a safer workplace, and improved relations between management and employees relations.

In addition, investors increasingly value the quality of the workforce and political and social stability over low labour costs, which means adhering to these standards can also make a business more attractive for investment.

 

Looking forward

As we look forward to the launch of the ASC Farm Standard, to the first producers adopting it, and to seeing the impacts of our work roll out, we are conscious on this Human Rights Day that our work in achieving the respect of human rights across the aquaculture industry has only just begun. With ongoing projects on living wage, community engagement, Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC), and worker engagement going on, although busy, it is an exciting time to be in the ASC Human Rights Team.

We urge all stakeholders to engage with us in this vital mission. Together, we can create a more equitable and responsible aquaculture industry that respects the dignity of all individuals involved. The ASC Farm Standard is not just a set of guidelines; it is a commitment to a future where human rights are at the forefront of aquaculture practices.

To know more about ASC’s work on human rights, visit this link or contact the ASC Human Rights team at humanrights@asc-aqua.org.