ASC Pre-audit – Aquaculture Stewardship Council

Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) standards and the ASC product chain helps enterprises identify what kinds of fish are farmed responsibly in farms. CoC’s certification process include fish from “ farm to plate” to ensure the traceability to all products.

Learn about ASC standards - Aquaculture Stewardship Council

ASC - Aquaculture Stewardship Council is a non-profit and independent organization managing the world's leading certification and labeling program for responsible aquaculture. This council was established in 2010 by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the Dutch Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH) to provide a world-leading certification program for aquaculture.

A product certified by ASC must also be certified according to the Chain of Custody (CoC) standard. This provides rules for purchasing, processing, and trading of ASC certified products.

We work with aquaculture producers, seafood processors, retail and foodservice companies, scientists, conservation groups and end consumers to:

• Recognize and reward responsible aquaculture units through the ASC aquaculture certification program and seafood labels.
• Promote the best environmental and social choice when buying seafood.
• Contributing to transforming the fishery market towards sustainability.

Aquaculture – related effects that are inadvertent and significantly adverse including the abuse of anti-biotic drugs and poor plant management has been minimized by ASC certification.

With the application of more than 150 performance index, ASC evaluation sustainably promotes aquaculture industry with the following standards:

• Help to protect the surrounding ecology and biodiversity
• Establish strict controlling measurements for the use of antibiotics
• Decrease the use of pesticides and chemicals
• Require best practices to combat the spread of diseases and parasites between farmed and wild fish
• Actively prevent fish from escaping
• Strictly stick to criteria for the sustainable use of resource and food
• Adjust food feeding practices, reduce the amount of food fallen into the water below
• Maintain the quality of water
• Regulations where farms can be located to protect vulnerable natural areas

ASC Standard also ensure that social rights and safety of farmworkers and residents are protected.

• Employees working on ASC certified farms must have fair working conditions and contracts as required by the international labor organization.
• No child labor and all employees should have a workplace that is comfortable and safe

Benefits of ASC Certificate

• Benefits for ASC certificate holders include maintaining the current market position and the potential to exploit new markets.
• Benefits for people who depend on fish farming include promoting responsible fish farm management and contributing to the livelihood of the community.
• Benefits for consumers include making conscious and responsible choices easier