Salmon farm. (Photo: Global Salmon Initiative)
GSI 100th farm achieves ASC certification
(WORLDWIDE, 10/27/2016)
About 20 per cent of all Global Salmon Initiative (GSI) member farms have now Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) certification as the group makes progress towards ambitious sustainability goals.
The organisation this Wednesday announced that its members have achieved ASC certification for 100 farms, the equivalent of 20 per cent of all GSI member farms.
GSI considers that this is an important milestone as it ultimately strives to achieve 100 per cent certification across all member farms, and demonstrates its members’ commitment to reaching the ASC standard’s challenging environmental and social indicators across all of their farming operations.
“The ASC standard is the world’s leading certification and labeling program for responsibly farmed seafood. Its challenging criteria are designed to promote the highest level of responsible aquaculture,” said Chris Ninnes, CEO of ASC. “The GSI members are leading the way with certifications, and today’s announcement sends a significant signal that they are committed on their journey towards improved sustainability,” he added.
Since the first GSI farm was awarded ASC certification in 2014, huge progress has been made, with 10 farms certified that year, 45 farms in 2015, and now a further 45 farms certified so far in 2016. GSI members now have ASC certified farms across 6 farming regions, including 48 farms in Norway, 33 in Chile, 12 in Canada, 3 in Ireland, 2 in Scotland and 2 in the Faroe Islands, with a further 29 currently under assessment.
“With more and more farms becoming ASC certified, we now have a growing supply of responsibly sourced salmon on the market. We trust that this will trigger more retailers to offer ASC labeled salmon products, enabling consumers to make a sustainable seafood choice,” said Piers Hart, Global Lead for Aquaculture at WWF.
In order to achieve ASC certification, farms must meet the standard’s 152 criteria, which support responsible aquaculture practices that minimize environmental and social impact.
In line with the ASC standard, the GSI publishes an annual Sustainability Report online, which allows the public to transparently review all member company data across key sustainability and environmental indicators.
The Report also tracks GSI’s progress towards ASC certification, showing the latest number of ASC certified farms, as well as farms currently under ASC assessment.
GSI is a leadership initiative established in 2013 by global farmed salmon producers focused on making significant progress on industry sustainability. Today, GSI comprises 12 companies, representing approximately 50% of the global salmon production industry.
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