ASC celebrates 5th anniversary

The ASC came together with its partners and supporters to recognise half a decade of working together on transforming aquaculture towards environmental sustainability and social responsibility.

Around 100 people joined ASC to help celebrate its fifth anniversary. Guests enjoyed samples of ASC certified oysters, supplied by Jersey Oyster Company who was recently certified against the ASC Bivalves Standard.

“I am proud of how far we have come in only five years, especially as our programme has been certifying farms for only half of that time. Our progress has been beyond expectation,” said Chris Ninnes, ASC’s CEO.

“In this short period, we have engaged more than 200 farms in the ASC programme of which close to 150 are now certified to the ASC standards. And, we have passed the milestone number of 2,500 ASC labelled products and more than 500,000 metric tons ASC certified seafood.

“That progress would not have been possible without the commitment of the certified farms, those in assessment and the many more that we know are contemplating engaging with the programme. As well as almost 500 Chain of Custody certified companies that move our certified products through the supply chain and the 250 logo licence holders who are driving the market uptake for the ASC logo.

“The response of the market has equalled these supply side commitments as we have seen a growing willingness of retailers, food service companies and brands committing to improving global aquaculture by driving demand for ASC certified seafood. It is through their collective support and commitment to responsible aquaculture that our certification and logo programme has become well established in such a short time. I would like to extend my sincere thanks to all those who have joined us on that journey.”