Sainsbury’s, New England Seafood International (NESI), Birds Eye, BioMar and Mowi were the big winners at the fifth annual Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) UK Awards, a joint ASC-Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) event, this year held in Edinburgh, Scotland.
For the fourth year in a row, Sainsbury’s was named Retailer of the Year, while NESI took Retail Supplier of the Year. Birds Eye was crowned Brand of the Year, BioMar was honoured as Newcomer of the Year, and Mowi’s Scottish Salmon Fillets voted Product of the Year – Consumer Choice.
ASC General Manager for the UK and Benelux Maud van den Haspel said: “Congratulations to all our winners for their remarkable dedication to responsibly produced seafood. These awards celebrate the people driving the transformation of the seafood farming industry – producers, processors, brands, and retailers – who choose to make a difference every single day.
“As ASC continues to grow in the UK, I hope these achievements inspire more partners to join us. Together, we can transform aquaculture into a true force for good — for farms, fish, people, and the planet.”
Dave Parker, Head of Aquaculture and Fisheries at Sainsbury’s, said the retailer’s award reflected the hard work of its teams and partners who enable it to offer a wide range of responsibly sourced seafood products.
“We’re passionate about the welfare of animals in our supply chains, and committed to working closely with our partners to deliver good food that is sourced responsibly, for everyone, every day,” he said.
ASC said there’s a growing consumer appetite for responsibly farmed seafood, with demand for ASC-labelled products continuing to surge in 2025. Some 857 ASC-certified products are now available across the UK market — a 19% increase since October 2024.
The number of ASC-certified farm sites in the UK also grew by 15%, reaching 83 in total, alongside three ASC-certified feed mills as of October 202
