Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC)

Certification for Farmed Fish and Seafood Production

Jason Swecker   |  
+1 510.452.8043   |  

Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) certification assures buyers, retailers, and consumers that aquaculture production conforms to the world's leading standard for responsibly farmed fish and seafood.  This certification demonstrates to retailers, consumers, and stakeholders that farmed products were raised responsibly from both an environmental and social perspective. SCS offers ASC services for the following standards: Salmon, Trout, Seriola/Cobia, Shrimp, Abalone, Tilapia, and Feed Mills. The ASC standards were created to recognize and reward responsible aquaculture, and the standards were developed through a collaborative and transparent process with scientists, conservation groups, NGOs, aquaculture producers, seafood processors, retail and food service companies, and consumers. Achieving ASC certification demonstrates that farmed products adhere to the highest standard of responsible aquaculture.  Set your operation apart by becoming certified to ASC.

Why Choose SCS?

Achieving ASC Certification provides independent assurance to your customers that your farmed fish and seafood products comply with rigorous environmental and social criteria. We have expertise with all major farmed species including pangasius, tilapia, shrimp, salmon, trout, abalone, and bivalves. Unique among conformity assessment bodies, our staff scientists helped to develop three of the eight ASC standards and currently belong to the ASC Technical Advisory Group. With this expertise, we are well qualified to conduct your aquaculture farming and ASC Chain of Custody assessments, and can also bundle with seafood safety auditing.

Stakeholder comments pertaining to our ASC clients are welcomed at any time. Please visit our Stakeholder Review page here, for more information.

  • Full Assessment
  • Pre-Assessment (Optional)
  • Process
  • Benefits
  • FAQs
  • Program Documents
Eligibility

Any aquaculture producer who farms one of the species covered by the ASC standards can take part in the ASC certification program.

Pre-assessments

SCS offers pre-assessments for the following ASC standards:

  • Abalone
  • Bivalves (clams, mussels, oysters and scallops)
  • Freshwater Trout
  • Pangasius
  • Salmon
  • Shrimp
  • Tilapia
Full-assessments

SCS is accredited to perform full-assessments for ASC Salmon, Abalone, Tilapia and Bivalves, and is currently a formal applicant for the ASC Shrimp standard. Please contact us if you are interested in becoming certified against additional ASC standards.

Accreditation (the ability to issue certificates) is open for the ASC Salmon, Pangasius and Tilapia standards. Accreditation for the bivalves, abalone, shrimp and freshwater trout standards is expected to open soon. SCS will make accreditation decisions according to demand. Please contact us if you are interested in becoming certified against any of these standards.

Certification Criteria

To receive certification, a client fishery must meet or exceed the minimum standards for legality, including: land and water usage; pollution and waste management; genetics and biodiversity, feed management; health management, veterinary medicines and chemicals; and social accountability.

Complementary Services

SCS also offers the convenience of combined Seafood Chain of Custody audits with HACCP based (hazard analysis critical control point) inspections through our seafood safety auditing programs.

Fisheries may be certified under the Marine Stewardship Council Standards.

Apply Now

Ready to start the process? Complete an Application.