Gloria Maris Côte d’Opale becomes the first French seabass and seabream farm to achieve ASC Certification

Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) proudly announces the certification of Gloria Maris Côte d’Opale, the first French seabass and seabream farm to achieve the ASC Seabream and Seabass standard.

This certification represents a major milestone for French aquaculture which recognises the farm’s commitment to meeting ASC’s stringent requirements for environmental responsibility, animal welfare, responsible feed and resource use, and social accountability.

By attaining ASC certification, Gloria Maris Côte d’Opale joins a global community of producers dedicated to driving positive change in seafood farming. The achievement also increases the availability of farmed seafood in France that meets ASC’s environmental and social requirements.

Maxime Engler, ASC France Market Development Manager, said, “ASC congratulates Gloria Maris Côte d’Opale on this remarkable achievement. As a pioneer, Gloria Maris Côte d’Opale is leading the way and demonstrating that a transparent, and responsible French aquaculture sector can meet the highest environmental and social standards.”

Bastien Riera, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Gloria Maris Group, said, “Achieving ASC certification is an important recognition of the work carried out by our teams over many years. This certification reflects our commitment to contributing to the development of a responsible, transparent, and demanding French aquaculture sector.”

A longstanding commitment to environmental preservation and social responsibility

Located along the beaches of the Hauts-de-France region, Gloria Maris Côte d’Opale has been farming sea bass and seabream for more than 40 years. This certification recognises the site’s long-standing commitment to responsible aquaculture, combining product quality, environmental preservation, and social responsibility.

Due to its location, the farm benefits from favorable conditions to farming of seabass and seabream. The site builds on expertise developed by Gloria Maris Côte d’Opale’s teams since 1982, with a strong focus on farming management and the continuous improvement of practices.

Fish produced at the site are supplied to foodservice professionals, fishmongers, and premium retail markets, with particular attention paid to product quality and traceability.

To achieve certification, Gloria Maris Côte d’Opale underwent an audit conducted by a Conformity Assessment Body (CAB) responsible for verifying compliance with requirements of the ASC Seabass and Seabream Standards.

The ASC certification recognises Gloria Maris Côte d’Opale’s good practices, particularly in the following areas:

• Monitoring and reducing environmental impacts;
• Managing aquaculture-related discharges;
• Protecting surrounding ecosystems;
• Responsible management of resources and animal health;
• Providing good working conditions.

By joining the ASC program, Gloria Maris Côte d’Opale contributes to the development of more responsible aquaculture and helps meet growing consumer demand for certified, traceable seafood products produced through responsible farming practices.