Global groups blast ASC certification’s new Farm Standard

Last month, we rallied conservation groups from every major salmon region around the world to call out the Aquaculture Stewardship Council certification’s newly released Farm Standard for continuing to endorse irresponsible open net pen salmon farming practices that place wild salmon and our oceans at risk.  

Despite being termed ‘new’ the Farm Standard adopts much of the old Salmon Standard criteria that has been weakened over the last decade to accommodate industry norms. In turn, this has allowed around 32% of global farmed salmon production to become ASC certified.  

Living Oceans and our SeaChoice allies have been watchdogging the ASC since the very beginning. Twenty years ago, we participated in the Salmon Aquaculture Dialogues to push the bar, helping to establish Salmon Standard’s strict sea lice that went far beyond mere legal requirements. Once the ASC took over the Salmon Standard, and it became apparent that industry was unable to meet these conditions, the ASC quickly began lowering the bar. For example, the number of sea lice allowed on ASC certified B.C. farms increased by up to 1,550 per cent. 

But it’s not just sea lice. The number of allowable chemical treatments has risen by up to 350 per cent in some regions. Meanwhile, antibiotics treatments are high with six treatments allowed per production cycle, despite the ever growing threat of antimicrobial resistance. The amount of wild fish (1.2 kg fish meal; 2.52 kg fish oil) allowed greatly outweighs what it takes to produce 1 kg of farmed fish. Concerningly, exceptions for salmon farms in protected areas also continue.  

Consumers and retailers alike should not trust the ASC ‘responsibly sourced’ label on farmed salmon. Nor should they trust competition certifications, the Global Seafood Alliance’s Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) or GLOBALG.A.P., which have also been criticized by the conservation groups for weak standards and greenwashing.