First Abalone farm in South Africa achieves ASC certification

The Irvin & Johnson Ltd Danger Point Abalone farm has become the first abalone farm in South Africa to achieve certification against the ASC Abalone Standard for responsible aquaculture.

The farm was awarded ASC certification after satisfying stringent social and environmental criteria assessed by independent third-party certifier SCS Global Services. A final report which details how the farm met these standards is available here.

Traceability at farm level

Irvine & Johnson Danger Point Abalone farm has an annual production of 300 tons and all harvested abalone are produced at the farm site. Production capacity is determined yearly by type and volume while the farm produces product batches of abalone monthly. Depending on the size and growth, selections are made weekly, then graded and harvested on a daily basis. The production system includes monitoring, control and robust traceability systems featuring an electronic information system to track and record information relevant to production, harvest and processing.

More ASC certified abalone in the market

Irvine & Johnson continues to supply fresh frozen, canned and dried abalone products to South Africa. It also exports to Hong Kong, China, Singapore and Japan, where appetite for abalone is high.

The ASC programme: Meeting the growing demand for responsible aquaculture

The ASC programme promotes industry best practice to minimise the environmental and social footprint of commercial aquaculture. The ASC on-pack logo helps consumers choose abalone products that have been farmed following the ASC’s comprehensive standard for responsible farming.