About ASC
The Power of Seafood
A nutritious protein source and a key component of global food security, 3.3 billion people rely on seafood for at least 20% of their animal protein consumption, and between 400 – 600 million people are directly and indirectly involved with the industry11UN Fisheries Panel (COFI36): Aquaculture as a solution to food insecurity, malnutrition and poverty.
With population estimates of 10 billion by 2050, and with wild caught fisheries at capacity, farmed seafood comprises almost 60% of seafood consumed as its numbers and importance continues to grow11UN Fisheries Panel (COFI36): Aquaculture as a solution to food insecurity, malnutrition and poverty. Care must be taken immediately to limit the industry’s negative impacts.
Responsible seafood farming eases pressure on natural resources, protects precious ecosystems, promotes economic opportunities and addresses food security challenges, caring for seafood, people and the planet. A crucial link in the circular economy, it upcycles multiple by-product streams into much needed high-quality protein.
Our Vision
A world where seafood farming plays a major role in supplying food and social benefits for humanity whilst minimising negative impacts on the environment
Our Mission
To transform seafood farming towards environmental sustainability and social responsibility, creating value across the chain using market mechanisms, improvement incentives and delivering value-added services from farm to fork
Transforming Seafood Farming
ASC is accelerating the transformation of the farmed seafood industry by:
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Championing Change – raising awareness of what needs to change and collaborating to create pathways for the change required to accelerate positive impact on people and planet, fish and farms.
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Making Change – developing and implementing the world’s leading independent certification and improver programmes for responsibly farmed seafood.
Our supply chain partners choose ASC certification for the most robust standards and the highest assurance ensuring traceability and transparency throughout the supply chain. By choosing ASC-labelled seafood, consumers in over 100 countries are contributing to a sustainable future.
Making an Impact
The impact of the ASC programmes in the seafood farming industry is substantiated across multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)22For more information on ASC’s SDG work, see https://www.asc-aqua.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/ASC-SDG-Report-2022-1.pdf.
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Simplifying this target framework, ASC contributes specifically to the following areas:
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Conserving Biodiversity
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Addressing Climate Change
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Fostering Fish Health and Welfare
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Improving Lives, Livelihoods and Communities
In addition to the focus of ASC programmes on these key SDGs, the ASC standards contribute to a broader range of SDGs at different levels to address the impacts of seafood farming on fish health and welfare, people and planet.
Throughout the ASC Farm Standard, there are SDG icons showing which are contributed to at both Principle and Criterion levels. Note that the extent to which any ASC-certified farm contributes to these SDGs will depend on its specific circumstances, including its scope, the species farmed, the nature of its operations, workforce, geography and neighbouring stakeholders.
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ASC Certification Programmes
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