The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) has prepared the draft audit manual for the seriola and cobia standard ready for pilot testing from early next year.
These pilot tests will enable ASC to field-test the manual and allow the pilot farms to measure their operations against the standard.
Feedback from the pilot audits will be used to further improve the audit manual before it is finalised and approved. The pilots will take place in January and February next year and the audit manual is likely to be ready for general use by April 2016.
Bas Geerts, ASC Standards director, said: "I'm delighted to see this audit manual for our latest standard materialising and I am pleased to announce that we are now ready for pilot testing.”
The ASC Seriola and Cobia Standard aims to address the key negative environmental and social impacts of seriola and cobia farming, including preservation of biodiversity, conservation of water and responsible sourcing of feed ingredients.
The final version of the audit manual will guide certifiers and farmers in how the Seriola and Cobia Standard should be applied.
Certifiers will have to undergo a rigorous process of accreditation by a company that is independent of ASC, Accreditation Services International (ASI).
Before they can undergo the standard, certifiers will also have to undergo training in the application of the standard and will need to pass a mandatory exam to demonstrate their full understanding of and competence in the application of the standard.
