The first trout farm in Turkey has become certified against the Aquaculture Stewardship Council Trout Standard.
Two sites of the Gümüşdoğa su Ürünleri Üretim İhracat ve İthalat farm have gained ASC certification after independent assessment by the certifier Bureau Veritas.
"I am pleased to welcome the first ASC certified farm in Turkey to our programme," said Bas Geerts, ASC Standards Director.
"The ASC programme is growing fast with more than 170 farms certified in 20 countries globally, and a further 90 farms in assessment. It is exciting to see new regions such as Turkey come onboard. Such diversity strengthens our scheme and will ensure greater availability of ASC certified seafood in the market."
"We take pride in operating according to the highest environmental and social standards for responsible aquaculture," said Ilkim Funda Taban, Global G.A.P and ASC scheme Manager.
"Gaining ASC certification demonstrates our commitment to responsible farming. We can now give our customers the security that our trout is farmed with the utmost care for people and the environment. We now plan to audit all Gümüşdoğa sites against the ASC Trout Standard. And, once we have been ASC Chain of Custody certified, we can also start processing our ASC certified trout."
Last summer, Danforel in Denmark became the first ASC certified trout farm in the world, followed by farms in Italy and Denmark.
With the certification of the two Gümüşdoğa su Ürünleri Üretim İhracat ve İthalat sites in Turkey, more supply of ASC certified trout is expected to enter the market in the near future.
