Dr Philip Smith, himself a long time industry insider, is the head of the newly established Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC). He told that sustainability will force its way through by means of green market trends and stakeholder demands for better management practices. he said that the present situation revealed that the Aquaculture Stewardship Council can be a convenient and important tool for the industry.
Dr Smith is said to discuss the impact on the aquaculture industry of the planned ASC certifications. He also said that responsible aquaculture is not only smart for the environment, it’s smart for business. He also told that pursuing sustainability is in line with good management practices that will limit the volatility experienced in a number of species and geographies, most recently by salmon in Chile.
The ASC works with independent, third party entities to certify farms that are in compliance with agreed sustainability standards for the industry. These certifications are trusted guides for consumers, the authorities and the general public. The evaluation standards of the stewardship councils are both environmental and social. They are developed by comprehensive round table dialogues, in this case the Aquaculture Dialogues.
