Find what you are looking for

Go directly to content

Why ASC?

We set the standard for seafood. If you see the ASC label on pack, you can be sure that your seafood was farmed with care.

Our impact

By choosing ASC labelled seafood, you are making a proven, positive impact on people and the planet.

Get involved

Which seafood will you choose for dinner? We've got some suggestions.

Popular links

Follow us and stay up to date:

Certification

Join the most recognised certification programme as proof of your responsible farming practices to a global audience.

Our impact

ASC creates measurable positive change in global seafood farming.

Find out more

The ASC programme is successful because of all producers and partners involved. Read our reports and stories.

Certification

Join the most recognised certification programme and benefit from trading ASC certified seafood.

Our impact

ASC creates measurable, positive change in global seafood farming.

After certification

In addition to accessing our global network of secure and flexible supply, ASC partners benefit from marketing their ASC certified seafood.

ASC introduces new Improver Programme

October 2, 2018

The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) has today officially introduced its new Improver Programme, an initiative to facilitate accessibility of the standard by helping producers that are not yet ready for certification to improve their practices and mitigate their environmental and social impacts. 

The ASC Improver Programme will also expand the benefits of the ASC’s industry leading aquaculture certification beyond those producers that choose to obtain certification by providing support to help more farmers update their practices even if they decide not to  attain all the benefits of ASC certification.

“Until now there has not been guidance for producers on how to improve their practices so they can meet the requirements in the ASC standards, but the Improver Programme will help to bridge that gap,” said Roy van Daatselaar, Producer Support Manager at ASC.

“The aquaculture industry includes a significant amount of small-scale farms, particularly in Asia, and providing guidance to these producers on how to improve practices will play an important role in the ASC’s mission to raise the overall standards of aquaculture worldwide.”

The programme will not only help producers through access to expertise and networking opportunities, but it will also benefit the wider industry by encouraging a pre-competitive and collaborative approach to improvement. Farmers who participate in the programme will be supported by the ASC, and given access to tools and networks to help them succeed through the ASC’s online academy. The programme will be open both to those producers that want to obtain certification and those that simply want help to improve farming practices without certification as an immediate goal. 

As well as supporting individual farmers, the flexibility of the AIP will allow collaboration with groups of producers, and local governments, to implement improvements on a larger scale. 

Work within the AIP programme has already begun, including the collaboration with the Vietnamese government and WWF Vietnam to produce a benchmark between VietGAP, the local Vietnamese certification, and the ASC standards for shrimp and tilapia. 85 per cent of shrimp in Vietnam is produced by small farms, meaning that targeted guidance to help them improve their practices could have a big impact on overall aquaculture standards.

Read more about the Improver Programme here

If you would like to get involved, email: roy.vandaatselaar@asc-aqua.org 

Confidental Infomation