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The Seabass, Seabream and Meagre Standard
Seabass, seabream and meagre farmers face a number of issues in bringing their seafood 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 seabass, seabream and meagre 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 Seabass, Seabream and Meagre Standard helps protect farms against these issues:
Biodiversity
ASC certified seabass, seabream and/or meagre farms minimise impacts on the local ecosystem in a number of ways, such as the development and implementation of an impact assessment to protect key wild species and sensitive habitats in the proximity of the farm, protection of the ecological quality of the seabed, ensuring farms are not sited in High Conservation Value Areas (HCVA) and minimising fish escapes to an absolute minimum. Lethal action against predators/wildlife on the farm is prohibited, so is the use of submerged acoustic deterrent devices (ADDs).
Feed
ASC certification requires seabass, seabream and/or meagre 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 other ingredients. Potential use of any GM/transgenic plant raw material in the feed must be documented. The Standard also includes a requirement that 80% within five years (starting September 2018) of all non-marine ingredients (e.g. soy & palm oil) must come from sources certified against an ISEAL Alliance member scheme (e.g. Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil [RSPO], the Sustainable Agriculture Alliance [SAN]…).
Pollution
PollutionASC certified seabass, seabream and/or meagre farmers are required to measure at regular intervals various water parameters (for example phosphorus and dissolved oxygen levels) and that they remain within set limits. Copper release into the water must be minimised and monitored, and there must be evidence that biological and non-biological waste are either disposed of properly, appropriately stored or recycled.
Diseases
DiseasesASC certified seabass, seabream and/or meagre farms are required to adhere to rigorous requirements to minimise disease outbreaks. A Fish Health Management Plan (FHMP) detailing steps for biosecurity management must be developed under supervision of a veterinarian and implemented on the farm. Usage of antibiotics before a disease is diagnosed (prophylactic use) is prohibited, so is the use of any therapeutic treatment listed as critically important for human medicine by the World Health Organization (WHO). Several of the Standard’s indicators concern the survival rate of the fish, and the farm must also demonstrate that it follows a farm-specific mortality-reduction programme with defined annual targets.
Energy consumption & Greenhouse gas emissions (GHGe)
Energy consumption & Greenhouse gas emissions (GHGe)Recognising the importance of energy consumption in food production systems and the associated climate change challenges, the ASC Seabass, Seabream and Meagre Standard includes several indicators pertaining to energy and GHGe. Notably, ASC-certified farmers need, within two/three years of the initial audit, to carry out an energy use assessment and provide records of annual GHG assessment and reporting; including the GHG emissions of the feed used during the previous growing cycle.
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. In order to address any broader off-site potential social impacts, producers are also required to regularly and meaningfully consult local communities and to have effective systems in place for resolving potential complaints. Similar requirements apply for suppliers (hatcheries) of seabass, seabream and/or meagre juveniles that are supplied to the ASC certified seabass, seabream and/or meagre farm.
Standard documents
- Date of Publication
- September 2018
Seabass, Seabream & Meagre – Standard documents
Other documents
Seabass, seabream, meagre – Other documents
Sea Bass Sea Bream and Meagre audit manual_v1.1