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The Flatfish Standard
Flatfish farmers face a number of issues in bringing their products to market. Through ASC certification, farmers evidence their contributions to responsible labour practices, disease management, and ecosystem conservation.
ASC sets the standards for environmentally and socially responsible flatfish farming.
Certified farms actively minimise their impact on the surrounding natural environment.
Certified farms operate in a socially responsible manner, caring for their employees and working with the local community.
ASC certification gives farms clear guidelines to follow. The Flatfish Standard helps protect farms against these issues:
Biodiversity
ASC certified flatfish farms minimise impacts on the local ecosystem in a number of ways, such as the development and implementation of an impact assessment to protect wildlife and sensitive habitats, protection of the ecological quality of the seabed, and ensuring farms are not sited in High Conservation Value Areas (HCVA). Certified farms must take measures to minimise any fish escapes. All lethal incidents with wildlife must be reported to the ASC.
Feed
ASC certification requires flatfish farms to adhere to strict limits to minimise the use of wild fish as an ingredient for feed. In addition, the standard requires farms to ensure full traceability back to a responsibly managed source, preferably certified, both for wild fish and non-marine ingredients. 80% of soy and palm oil must be certified against an ISEAL member certification scheme from June 2024.
Pollution
PollutionASC certified flatfish farms are required to measure various water quality parameters at regular intervals and remain within set limits. Potential copper release into the water must be minimised and monitored.
Diseases
DiseasesASC certified flatfish farms are required to adhere to rigorous requirements to minimise disease outbreaks. A Fish Health Management Plan detailing steps for biosecurity management must be developed under supervision of a veterinarian and implemented on the farm. Certified farms need to adhere to low levels of parasites, and the use of medicine before a disease is diagnosed (prophylactic use), is prohibited. Producers must manage farms in such a way that survival rate is high, and they need to have a farm specific mortalities reduction program that includes defined annual targets.
Human Rights
Human RightsASC certification includes robust requirements based on the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. These include prohibiting the use of child labour or any form of forced labour, and requiring the right of freedom of association and collective bargaining. All ASC certified farms are safe and equitable working environments where employees earn a decent wage and have regulated working hours. Farmers are required to engage with local communities (including Indigenous communities), have a community stakeholder complaints process in place, and inform local communities about potential health and safety risks or changes in access to resources.