The Jersey Oyster Company has become the first oyster farm in the world to meet the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) standard for responsible bivalve aquaculture.

The Jersey Oyster Company has become the first oyster farm in the world to meet the ASC standard for responsible bivalve aquaculture

The Jersey Oyster Company has become the first oyster farm in the world to meet the ASC standard for responsible bivalve aquaculture

The company has been producing Pacific Oysters for over 40 years. The oysters are grown from seed obtained from on-shore hatcheries and are supported by the daily natural filtering effect of the tide.

“Oyster farming has benefits for the environment, including creating an ecosystem for other marine life and improving ocean water quality by the bivalve filtering process,” explained Chris Le Masurier, managing director. “Waste shell from the farm is crushed and used on the land as a valuable soil conditioner.”

The ASC Bivalves Standards address key potential adverse impacts of bivalve aquaculture. Protection of natural habitats, site impacts, pollution and waste management, responsible use of therapeutics and antibiotics, and labour rights for farm workers are some of the main areas addressed in the standards.

Chris Ninnes, ASC’s CEO, said that two additional oyster farms in Jersey - Seymour Oyster Company and Jersey Sea Farms - are also awaiting the outcome of their assessments.

With the recent certification of the Jersey Oyster Company and five scallop farms of Aquapesca in Peru, ASC certified bivalves are expected to hit the market within the near future.

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