Indicator 4.2.1.8.1

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System

Water Type

Feed Dependent

Species

Indicator 4.2.1.8.1

by Contact on 8 October 2026

Table 1. Requirements for Indicator 4.2.1.8.1

Indicator

Requirement

4.2.1.8.1

Indicator applicability: every UoC using feed The UoC shall ensure the HWMP includes a water quality monitoring process according to Appendix 12 (12.3, Table 3).


How Do I Interpret This Requirement?

  • Maintaining good water quality is a critical factor when culturing any aquatic organism.

  • Concentrations of substances within the water system that rise above or fall below specific levels can be harmful to crustacean populations.

  • Concerning health and welfare, water quality has a dual role as a cause or a consequence of poor health and welfare:

    • Poor water quality can cause health and welfare hazards in an aquaculture facility, e.g. heavy rain promoting quick pH changes in a flow-through system or leaking from equipment in a recirculating aquaculture system (RAS).

    • Poor water quality can also result from poor husbandry practices resulting in a risk to health and welfare, e.g. if stocking density is too high the water quality is likely to deteriorate, especially in closed and semi-closed systems.

    • While Table 3 of Appendix 12 of the ASC Farm Standard specifies water quality parameters that must be included in the monitoring process, other parameters may be considered based on the site-specific requirements of the UoC.

    • Conformance with maximum and minimum thresholds for the required parameters, customised to suit the species and environmental conditions, should be incorporated as part of the water quality monitoring process.

    • Table 11 below gives examples that may be considered acceptable as a reference to develop and implement a water quality monitoring process.

Table 11: Water quality parameters for shrimp in ponds based on information from the FAI shrimp course.

| | Acceptable | Warning levels | Unacceptable levels |

| Temperature | 25 — 32.4⁰C | 14.5 -25.4⁰C or 32.5 -35.4⁰C | ≤14.4⁰C or ≥35.5⁰C |

| | | | |

| (twice a day) | | | |

| Dissolved oxygen | ≥65% | 49-64% | ≤48% |

| | | | |

| (twice a day) | | | |

| pH | 6.5 — 8.5 | 5.0 — 6.4 or 8.6 -9.0 | ≤4.9 or ≥9.1 |

| | | | |

| (daily) | | | |

| Salinity (risk assessed) PSU | 10.0-40.9‰ | 0.6-9.9‰ or 41.0 — 59.0‰ | ≤0.5‰ or ≥60.0‰ |

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Evidence of Implementation

  • The water quality monitoring process, that incorporates the minimum elements required, included in the HWMP.

  • Records confirming the monitoring of the required parameters and their conformance with maximum and minimum thresholds.

  • Employees should demonstrate awareness of the established water quality monitoring process.

Auditors Should Confirm

  • The water quality monitoring process included in the HWMP incorporates the minimum required elements and is implemented.

    • Implementation can be verified by cross-checking the process with records, information from employee interviews and observations.

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