Filter content

by selecting applicable filters below

System

Water Type

Feed Dependent

Species

Indicator 4.1.1.7

Requirement

The UoC shall only stock batches of fish that have been tested prior to stocking and are free from diseases of regional concern.

How Do I Interpret This Requirement?

  • Regular veterinarian or aquatic animal health professional visits may fall into two categories:

    • Routine: Performed on a regular basis to monitor the health and welfare of the farmed fish.

    • Reactive: Performed in response to deterioration of, or concerns about, the health or welfare status of the farmed fish.

      • Sites should be prepared to provide the veterinarian or aquatic animal health professional with detailed information about the observed symptoms, recent changes in behaviour, morphology, water quality or mortality and any relevant history of disease or treatments.

      • The site should use reactive health visits to address immediate health or welfare concerns, diagnose underlying causes of problems, and implement targeted interventions to mitigate risks and prevent further spread of disease.

  • For routine visits, preparation is recommended to ensure a meaningful outcome from the veterinarian or aquatic animal health professional. Below are some practical considerations:

    • Visit scheduling: Ensure key employees are available during the visit to provide relevant required information and to facilitate adequate follow-up.

    • Designate a senior member of the employees to serve as the primary point of contact for the veterinarian or aquatic animal health professional during the visit.

    • This individual can help coordinate the activity, ensure relevant information is available, assist during the visit and ensure follow-up.

  • Gather and organise relevant information:

  • Compile relevant information about the operations, including:

    • Species being cultured,

    • Production systems,

    • Stocking densities,

    • Recent health history, including treatments, water quality monitoring results,

    • Behaviour data,

    • Morphology and mortalities data,

    • Feeding plan,

    • Any previous veterinary reports,

    • Details of any ongoing issue.

    • Having this information readily accessible will facilitate discussion and decision-making during the visit.

    • Prepare the UoC for the visit: Ensure the UoC is prepared for the visit and for providing full access to all relevant areas to the veterinarian or aquatic animal health professional.

      • Address any maintenance issues, clean tanks or ponds as needed and ensure clear access to all relevant areas of the facility.

      • Ensure handling and other equipment that might be needed during the visit, such as nets, containers and sampling equipment is available and in good working condition.

      • Make sure employees are aware of the visit and its objectives and encourage them to proactively participate in it.

    • During the visit: Ensure relevant information is discussed with the veterinarian or aquatic animal health professional and that the visit includes all relevant areas within the UoC.

    • After the visit: Follow up on any recommendations or actions discussed during the visit.

      • Implement any necessary revisions or changes to management practices, treatment protocols, or facility conditions based on the veterinarian or aquatic animal health professional’s feedback and any sample or testing results.

    • Continuous improvement: Use the insights gained from the veterinarian or aquatic animal health professional visit to identify opportunities for continuous improvement in health and welfare management.

Evidence of Implementation

  • Health reports.

  • Testing results.

  • Records:

    • Veterinarian or aquatic animal health professional qualifications.

    • Veterinarian or aquatic animal health professional visit.

    • Recommendations or actions discussed during the visit.

Auditors Should Confirm

  • The qualifications of the veterinarian or aquatic animal health professional and cross-check the frequency of visits with records.

  • Existence of health reports and testing results.

Useful Resources

Indicator 4.1.1.6

Requirement

The UoC shall adhere to species-specific mortality limits, according to Appendix 2 (2.3).

Indicator 4.1.1.5

Requirement

Indicator applicability: marine salmonids in cages The UoC shall only stock a single cohort of fish per site.

How Do I Interpret This Requirement?

  • Gaps of up to six months between stocking inputs are acceptable as long as:

    • The smolts are derived from the same stripping.

    • There is a period when the site is fully fallow after harvest, in accordance with regulatory requirements.

Evidence of Implementation

  • Records:

    • Purchase.

    • Transportation.

    • Delivery.

    • Stocking.

    • Fallowing.

    • Production (fish size).

Auditors Should Confirm

  • The size of the fish matches that of a single year class by observing the stock.

  • The observation should be cross-checked with records.

Indicator 4.1.1.4

Requirement

The UoC shall implement a vaccination plan that: a) considers the relevant diseases and vaccine availability; and b) includes justification for vaccine selection; and c) is approved by a registered veterinarian or aquatic animal health professional.

How Do I Interpret This Requirement?

  • The vaccination plan should consider:

    • Local regulations.

    • Relevant diseases for the species in the country, based on scientific literature and publicly available information.

    • Commercially licensed vaccines registered for the species being farmed and autogenous vaccines produced by a licensed producer.

      • Commercially licensed vaccines are recognised by the relevant country authorities to ensure quality control, safety and efficacy.

      • Autogenous vaccines are custom vaccines produced from pathogens isolated directly from affected sites on which the vaccines are subsequently deployed under a minor use or restricted permit by a licenced producer.

Evidence of Implementation

  • Local regulations.

  • List of relevant diseases for the species in the country and available vaccines.

  • Vaccine permits.

  • Vaccine purchase invoices.

  • Records:

    • Vaccination.

Auditors Should Confirm

  • The vaccination plan in place is overseen and signed off by a veterinarian and includes a list of relevant diseases for the country and the vaccines available.

  • The information should be cross-checked with local regulations and records.

Useful Resources

Indicator 3.13.5

Requirement

The UoC shall proactively engage with Indigenous and tribal peoples and local communities to identify, avoid, and mitigate significant negative impacts resulting from the activities of the UoC.

How Do I Interpret This Requirement?

  • Proactive engagement means that the UoC should:

    • make contact with Indigenous and tribal peoples and local communities to establish and maintain a relationship with them

    • make efforts to involve Indigenous and tribal peoples and local communities in decisions that may impact them

    • keep Indigenous and tribal peoples and local communities informed about the activities of the UoC, particularly any changes that may take place

    • ensure that Indigenous and tribal peoples and local communities are aware of and understand how to use the community grievance mechanism (3.12.4).

  • Guidance for Indicator 3.13.1 offers information about how to:

    • engage with communities

    • assess and mitigate any negative impacts.

Evidence of Implementation

  • evidence of engagement with local communities

  • minutes from any meetings with community members

  • documented grievances and their resolutions.

Auditors Should Confirm

  • confirm that the UoC is aware of which communities may be impacted by their activities;

  • confirm that the UoC understands some of the possible negative impacts that their activities may have on communities;

  • confirm that the UoC has engaged in some way with local communities.

Indicator 3.13.4

Requirement

The UoC shall demonstrate its right to use the land and water including, where applicable, transfer of ownership or usage of land from Indigenous and tribal peoples, local communities or other stakeholders to the UoC.

How Do I Interpret This Requirement?

  • The UoC:

    • recognises and respects the legal and customary rights of Indigenous and tribal peoples and local communities over land and resources

    • ensures land titles and deeds are in place and that it follows national laws

  • can demonstrate this right by showing:

    • legal ownership documentation

    • leaseholds

    • any other use right documentation

    • there are/were no land conflicts when starting the site operations, and/or

    • any land conflicts have been resolved.

    • Where required (and this can be applied anywhere as a good practice) the UoC obtains Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) from Indigenous and tribal communities before undertaking any activities that may impact significant sites or resources.

Evidence of Implementation

  • review local legislation related to legal or customary rights of Indigenous and tribal people to water

  • land titles, deeds, licences

  • evidence of agreements with communities

  • evidence of FPIC agreements with Indigenous communities.

Auditors Should Confirm

  • how community members engage with the UoC;

  • the UoC has all appropriate land titles, deeds and licences in place;

  • whether there are any past or ongoing conflicts between the community and the UoC about the UoC’s use of resources.

Indicator 3.13.3

Requirement

The UoC shall, where possible, source goods and services, including employment, from Indigenous and tribal peoples and local communities.

How Do I Interpret This Requirement?

  • Ensuring that the community benefits economically from the UoC can:

    • improve wellbeing

    • foster positive relationships between the UoC and the communities.

  • The UoC can develop partnerships and agreements that ensure that nearby communities benefit economically from site operations. This may include:

    • job opportunities

  • sourcing goods from the community, for example:

    • food for the canteen

    • machinery needed for running the site

    • feed.

  • sourcing services from the community, for example:

    • cleaning company

    • diving company

    • security guard provider.

    • revenue-sharing

  • infrastructure development, for example:

    • the improvement of roads

    • connections to other services for the community, such as internet access.

  • Actions that the site can take include:

    • local posting of jobs and active recruitment in neighbouring communities,

    • partnerships with local businesses for the delivery of goods and/or services, such as catering.

Evidence of Implementation

  • sourcing policy

  • recruitment processes and advertisements for jobseekers

  • employee records

  • agreements with local businesses.

Auditors Should Confirm

  • how jobs are advertised and goods are sourced;

  • the degree of locally recruited employees and locally sourced goods and services;

  • the reasoning for recruiting employees or sourcing goods and services from elsewhere.

Indicator 3.13.2

Requirement

The UoC shall identify, avoid and mitigate potential negative impacts on the surrounding communities resulting from its activities.

How Do I Interpret This Requirement?

  • The UoC can be a busy environment, and operations can have an impact on surrounding communities, who may experience increased:

    • noise

    • light

    • pollution

    • dirt and dust

    • traffic and damage to roads

    • restrictions on where people can move around the community.

    • Sometimes the UoC can cause disruption to communities who are further away, for example through increased traffic on the roads by trucks delivering feed early in the morning.

  • In consultation with the community the UoC should:

    • identify if any negative impacts are taking place

    • decide on ways to mitigate these impacts

    • inform the community of the contents of any mitigation plan.

    • See also the guidance for Indicator 3.13.1.

Evidence of Implementation

  • an analysis of any negative impacts caused by the UoC

  • records or minutes of meetings or other engagement with the community

  • a mitigation plan for any negative impacts.

Auditors Should Confirm

  • the UoC understands who the communities are who are potentially impacted by its operations;

  • the UoC has carried out a process of understanding what, if any, the impacts from its operations are for the local communities;

  • where possible, if communities have been engaged in a process of understanding the impacts of the operations of the UoC;

  • communities are aware of the mitigation plan.

Indicator 3.13.1

Requirement

The UoC shall not restrict or negatively affect the legal or customary rights of Indigenous and tribal peoples and local communities to sites that are of special cultural, ecological, economic, religious or spiritual significance.

How Do I Interpret This Requirement?

  • The aim of this criterion is that the UoC:

    • commits to responsible and ethical land and resource management

    • respects the rights and wellbeing of Indigenous and tribal peoples, and local communities.

  • Communities may have lived in the area for centuries, and the natural resources may:

    • hold cultural or religious significance

    • provide them with food security

    • provide them with economic benefits.

  • These areas can include:

    • land

    • lakes

    • rivers

    • streams

    • mangroves

    • marine areas.

    • Communities’ use of these areas and natural resources can be assessed in consultation with communities.

  • It is the responsibility of the UoC to:

    • assess which communities could potentially be affected by its operations;

    • understand and document which resources are vital to the communities;

    • seek and obtain community approval before undertaking changes that have the risk of restricting access to resources;

    • involve local communities in a consultative process to discuss the proposed changes;

    • document any community approvals;

    • engage with communities in a continuous process with annual reviews;

    • set up a permanently accessible mechanism for communities to raise any issues.

  • The UoC can take several steps to engage in these responsibilities:

    • Step 1: The UoC engages in regular consultation and collaboration:

      • identifies the communities, and Indigenous and tribal peoples who may be significantly impacted by the site’s activities

      • initiates a genuine and ongoing engagement and dialogue process with these stakeholders, which includes establishing and maintaining open lines of communication to understand their needs, concerns, and aspirations

      • commits to continually improving practices by being open to feedback and adapting to changing circumstances (see also Indicator 3.13.5).

  • Step 2: The UoC conducts social impact assessments:

  • assesses which communities may be affected by their operations:

    • the physical proximity of a community is less important than the extent of the impact experienced by them

    • engages these communities to conduct thorough impact assessments to understand the potential cultural, and socio-economic consequences of site operations on significant sites (also 3.13.2)

    • If an adequate and up-to-date social impact assessment has already been carried out for another purpose, there is no need to carry out another one. In some cases, the assessment will need to be complemented. The UoC will also need to show it has followed up on its findings.

  • Step 3: The UoC develops a mitigation plan:

    • that is based on the social impact assessments, to eliminate adverse effects on significant sites, in consultation with affected communities

    • implements this plan

    • monitors this plan.

  • Step 4: The UoC educates and trains employees about:

    • the cultural, historical, and ecological significance of the land and water resources in the area to foster a deeper understanding and respect for these resources

    • the mitigation plan

    • ensures that there are employees with the required competencies to conduct community engagement.

  • Step 5: The UoC integrates community engagement into management systems (see also Criterion 1.2):

    • integrates the mitigation plan in company policies

    • ensures there is a member of senior management who is responsible for implementation of these company policies and the mitigation plan

  • Step 6: The UoC establishes conflict resolution mechanisms, which are:

    • clear and fair

    • for resolving disputes or conflicts that may arise between the UoC and Indigenous or local communities

      • agreed upon in advance and involve impartial third parties if necessary (see also Indicators 3.12.4 – 3.12.9).

  • Step 7: The UoC ensures transparency, reporting and communication, internally, to the communities and to other interested stakeholders. This can include:

    • maintaining transparency in operations

    • reporting on community engagement efforts accessible to communities.

    • communicating clearly and well in advance about any activities that have the potential to affect communities.

Evidence of Implementation

  • reports from environmental and social impact assessments

  • impact mitigation plan

  • reports or meeting minutes from community meetings and other engagement

  • documentation from grievance procedures

  • brochures, posters and other materials used for communication with communities.

Auditors Should Confirm

  • which communities may be impacted by the operations of the UoC and if they are Indigenous communities or not;

  • whether the methodology for stakeholder mapping was robust enough to identify the key rightsholders and stakeholders.

  • if the stakeholders identified include diverse groups representing different segments of the community.

  • where possible with communities, that the assessments were conducted in good faith and include all significant sites that the UoC may have an impact on, or where this is not possible seek input from local NGOs or other organisations.

  • the mitigation plan is being implemented;

  • communities understand how to access the UoC’s community grievance mechanism;

  • documentation from grievance processes, the nature of the grievances and how they have been resolved;

  • how communities engage with the UoC;

  • whether there are any conflicts about the use of resources by the UoC or if the UoC has restricted access to sites of religious or spiritual significance for Indigenous people;

  • whether there are any other negative impacts they experience from the UoC.

Useful Resources

Indicator 3.12.9

Requirement

The UoC shall ensure that grievance mechanisms are confidential, and information is only shared where necessary to investigate the grievance.

How Do I Interpret This Requirement?

  • If a confidential grievance process has been requested, anyone managing the grievance process receives, processes, files and monitors records with particular attention to ensuring that the identity of the person raising the claim is:

    • kept confidential

    • not in any public documentation.

  • Sometimes there may be a situation where in order to properly investigate and understand the grievance, the UoC has to share some information about the grievance. If this is the case:

    • the person bringing the grievance should be informed,

    • the information should be shared sensitively and only to those who need to know it.

Evidence of Implementation

  • grievance policy with provisions for confidential procedures

  • records of grievance processes.

Auditors Should Confirm

  • employees understand that the grievance processes are confidential;

  • those processing grievances understand how to keep the process confidential.