The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC)  has launched a project that aims to develop the ASC Feed Standard. ASC is now inviting experts from the aquafeed industry to join a working group and actively contribute to the future of responsible aquaculture feed.

The project is starting shortly and a new, globally applicable, ASC Feed Standard should be ready by the end of 2015.

Feed is an essential element in fish farming; however, it is a major contributor to the overall environmental impact of aquaculture. Some of the issues to be addressed include the production of key ingredients used in making the feed.

The standard will set out requirements and introduce consistency for the aquafeed industry to operate on a more environmentally sound and socially responsible basis. It will allow manufacturers who have demonstrated their environmentally responsible production practices to gain recognition for their efforts.

For now, feed plants cannot be ASC certified, however, some are already becoming more responsible such as the BioMar factory in Brande, Denmark, which has put in place systems to comply with the ASC Standards for salmon and trout. (See DENMARK - BioMar plant first to comply with new ASC-standard - 06/23/2013) .   

ASC is encouraging interested stakeholders from all areas of the industry (aquafeed producers, raw material suppliers, fish farmers, academic community, NGOs, etc) to become actively involved with the project.

For further information, please contact Michiel Fransen.

More information on the Feed Project.

Pilot tests of the Feed Standard are expected to start in the second half of 2014.