A call from the CARE Salmon Collective – representing nearly 20% of French salmon imports and nearly half of its retail market share — for higher animal welfare standards has been welcomed by the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC), with the farmed seafood certification programme stating that following the launch of its Farm Standard in May 2025 these expectations are already being met.
Launched in June 2024 by Labeyrie Fine Foods in collaboration with Compassion in World Farming (CIWF) and consultancy Bureau Bankiva, CARE unites major retailers and foodservice companies – including Labeyrie Fine Foods, Groupement Mousquetaires, Auchan Retail, Api Restauration, Réseau Vivalya, E.Leclerc, Demarne, and HANA Group – in the push for more responsible animal welfare practices across the salmon supply chain.
The collective recently issued an open letter urging Norwegian salmon farmers to raise animal welfare standards. The open letter makes a series of concrete recommendations to suppliers around farming conditions (water quality, density); animal health (mortality, health indicators, sea lice management); human interventions (handling, transfer, transport); more humane slaughter; training, monitoring and transparency; and applied research opportunities.
ASC advised that its new Farm Standard already reflects and aligns with these recommendations, noting that its Health and Welfare Principle applies to all certified species, including salmon. It is implementing a two-year transition period for the ASC Farm Standard, which will become mandatory on 1 May 2027.
ASC Regional Manager Southern Europe, France & Italy Camille Civel said CARE’s open letter underlines the clear expectations of French consumers and their strong demand for responsibly farmed salmon.
“Fish welfare is no longer optional – it’s a consumer expectation, an industry responsibility, and key towards sustainable aquaculture. As a consumer, you can support farmers who choose progress by purchasing ASC certified products. As a stakeholder, listen closely to this growing expectation from the industry. The ASC Farm Standard provides industry with a rigorous, science-based framework to ensure fish welfare – making responsible aquaculture a shared standard from producer to plate.”
CIWF Senior Food Business Manager Lucille Bellegarde commented: “Through CARE Salmon, we brought together major players in the French market to drive meaningful change in salmon farming. As consumer expectations evolve and fish welfare becomes an essential concern, raising farming standards is key to strengthening the credibility and sustainability of the sector, while staying ahead of future legislative changes.
“The CARE Salmon project also embodies a proactive and collaborative approach to meet consumer expectations and advance towards higher welfare standards. We invite all interested companies to join this initiative and contribute to positive change in the salmon industry.”
