Helping Swedish seafood consumer make responsible choices

Swedish seafood shoppers can now easily enjoy responsibly farmed fish thanks to the updated Swedish Seafood Guide 2015.

For the first time the guide includes ASC certified responsibly farmed shrimp, joining the existing ASC certified listed species salmon, pangasius and tilapia.

“I am delighted that Swedish consumers can now make an informed choice when shopping for seafood with the help of the Seafood Guide. The ASC certification and labelling programme is becoming well established since its launch in 2012. There are now 127 farms certified to ASC standards, and nearly 2000 product in sale with the ASC logo globally. However, there is always more that can be done,” said ASC’s CEO Chris Ninnes.

“Initiatives such as the Seafood Guide are a great way of introducing responsibly farmed fish to consumers, helping them make responsible choices when shopping for seafood. Consumers have an important role to play for responsible aquaculture. They can make a difference by choosing seafood with the ASC logo. By buying ASC labelled fish they encourage more fish farms to raise their standards, thereby lessening the potential environmental and social impact of aquaculture.”

Guide to help seafood consumers make responsible choices

The Seafood Guide has helped consumers make informed seafood purchasing choices for more than a decade. The guide tells shoppers which fish to enjoy and which to avoid. The methodology that the guide is based on was initially developed by WWF, Greenpeace, North Sea Foundation (NSF) and the Marine Conservation Society through the coordination of the Seafood Choice Alliance and was funded by the Oak Foundation. WWF and NSF have been continuously updating the methodology for the guide and the Seafood Guides are now available in 18 countries around the globe.

This month, WWF Sweden hosted an event in Stockholm to celebrate the launch of the Swedish Seafood Guide 2015.

“We are pleased to include ASC certified shrimp in the Swedish Seafood Guide for the first time. ASC certification for responsibly aquaculture works as a tool to steer the market in a more sustainable direction,” said Inger Näslund, Senior Conservation Officer Marine and Fisheries WWF Sweden.

“Swedish consumers have a high awareness and can help drive positive change through the support of new solutions such as aquaculture certification. The goal is to enable the choice of seafood that can be traced from farm to fork.”

Logo for responsible aquaculture

The ASC logo was launched in 2012. The on-pack logo ensures that labelled products carrying the logo comes from farms that minimise their potential impacts on the environment and local communities.

ASC certified farms deliver a cleaner seabed, cleaner water and healthier fish; preserve the diversity of the species and wild population; adhere to strict feed requirements and ensure social responsibility.

All ASC labelled products can be traced back through the supply chain to a responsible managed fish farm. Chain of custody certified companies are assessed against strict requirements.