The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) has inaugrally awarded its Seriola and Cobia Standard for responsible aquaculture to Japanese Seriola producers.
Kurose Suisan achieved its certification on 16 December after an independent assessment, following the ASC multi-site approach, of three sites – Kushima, Uchinoura and Nobeoka Farms – by third-party conformity assessment body (CAB) SCS Global Services. Global Ocean Works gained certification on 22 December, following an audit of the Fukuyama Fish Farm by Amita, the local independent CAB.
Koji Yamamoto, ASC’s general manager for Japan said: "This is a significant milestone for the ASC. Domestic production of Seriola in Japan is a large proportion of the global total. It is the most farmed finfish species in Japan, and is an integral and historical part of many coastal communities.
“The arrival of certified Seriola products into the market is a highly anticipated and a significant addition to the ASC line of products from domestic aquaculture.”
Established brands
Kurose Suisan, operated by the Nissui Group network, has been producing Seriola since 2004 under the brand Kurose Yellowtail, from its farms sites located in Kushima, in the Miyazaki prefecture of South Japan. Global Oceans Works, based in Tarumizu City, in the Kagoshima Prefecture of Japan, was established in 2009 with a focus on processing and sale of ‘hamachi' yellow tail.
The ASC Seriola and Cobia Standard, launched just over a year ago, addresses the key negative environmental and social impacts associated with Seriola aquaculture. The standard sets measurable, performance-based requirements that farms must meet to be certified, including preservation of local habitats and biodiversity, minimising fish escapes, conservation of water and water quality, minimal use of therapeutics and antibiotics, and responsible sourcing of feed ingredients, including strict limits on the use of wild fish as an ingredient and full traceability back to a responsibly managed source.
