ASC Farm Standard Certification: Responsible Aquaculture
Demonstrate your commitment to responsible aquaculture farming through independent certification against environmental, social, animal welfare and farm management requirements
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ASC Farm Standard Certification: Responsible Aquaculture
The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) Farm Standard enables producers to demonstrate compliance with requirements designed to minimize key environmental and social impacts of aquaculture. Products from ASC certified farms may be eligible to carry the ASC label, subject to applicable MSC-ASC Chain of Custody certification.
The standard is managed by the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC), whose mission is to transform seafood farming towards environmentally, sustainability and social responsibility from feed and farm to fork.
What is the ASC Farm Standard?
The ASC Farm Standard sets responsible practices for global seafood farming. Its impact-based sustainability requirements cover animal welfare, farm management, human rights and environmental stewardship for fish, farm, people and the planet.
The ASC Farm Standard brings ASC’s species-specific farm requirements together into one global standard, providing greater consistency across the species covered. The ASC Farm Standard covers finfish, shrimp, abalone and bivalves, while the joint ASC-MSC Seaweed Standard applies to seaweed.
The ASC Farm Standard helps you achieve:
- Effective farm management and legal compliance.
- Improved environmental stewardship and management of environmental impacts.
- Respect for human rights and responsible working conditions.
- Responsible animal health and welfare practices.
The standard focuses on production and its immediate inputs, with requirements that build upon best practices. It aims to be a starting point for continuous improvement and is therefore periodically updated to reflect the best available scientific knowledge, management practices and technologies.
Meeting the applicable requirements also involves monitoring and reporting, including maintaining required records and submitting specified data to ASC. As part of ASC’s commitment to transparency, all audit findings, reports and certificates are publicly available. When it comes to traceability and Chain of Custody certification, ASC uses the MSC Chain of Custody Standard together with the ASC Chain of Custody Module.
Value of ASC Farm certification
The ASC Farm certification gives producers several benefits:
- Access to markets that require ASC-certified seafood.
- Clear and credible communication on responsible farming to customers and other stakeholders.
- Eligibility to use the ASC label, subject to applicable MSC-ASC Chain of
- Custody and licensing requirements.
- Structured stakeholder involvement.
- Independent verification against applicable ASC requirements.
- Assurance that ASC-labelled products are traceable back to ASC-certified farms.
Why partner with DNV?
DNV is one of the world’s leading certification bodies. Through management system certification, supply chain assurance and training services, we help companies manage risks, assure compliance and build competence in organizations, supply chains and people.
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How to get certified to ASC Farm
The first step is to prepare your organization to be compliant with the ASC Farm Standard. Before the first certification audit, the site in question must have been in operation for at least six months, with records consistent with applicable requirements.
DNV is an independent third-party certification body accredited for the ASC Farm Standard, as well as the MSC Chain of Custody Standard and the ASC Chain of Custody module. We can support you with certification to this standard. Our experts are among the most experienced auditors in the industry, and we can provide certification to the ASC Farm standard for your farm site.
As a DNV customer, you also get access to a suite of digital tools that can help you ensure compliance, continually improve and manage your entire certification journey with us.
Learn how to get ASC Farm Standard certified
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- Review the applicable standard: Identify the ASC Farm Standard applicable to the species you produce and review the relevant certification requirements and audit preparation information. The standard is available for download from the ASC website.
- Confirm your eligibility and certification scope: Check that your farming operation is eligible for ASC Farm Standard certification and define the Unit of Certification (UoC), including the applicable ASC Farm Standard, species and site in scope.
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- Assign responsibilities: Designate appropriate personnel to coordinate the certification process and act as a point of contact for the assessment team.
- Prepare the required information: Ensure that relevant data, records and procedures are available for the audit. This may include stock data, information on social regulations, internal records and procedures, employee and stakeholder interviews, and supporting scientific information.
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- Review your operation against ASC Farm Standard requirements: Use the applicable ASC Farm Standard and Audit Preparation Checklist to understand the information and performance data that need to be available during the assessment.
- Address gaps before the audit: Review your documentation, data, identification, segregation and traceability systems early in the process so that necessary adjustments can be made before assessment.
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- Choose an accredited conformity assessment body: Select an independent conformity assessment body (CAB) accredited by Accreditation Services International (ASI) to conduct assessments against ASC Farm Standards. Consider its aquaculture expertise, environmental and social audit capabilities, language capacity and availability.
- Complete the initial audit: Your CAB will conduct an independent third-party assessment of your farming operation against the applicable ASC Farm Standard. The process includes assessment of the available evidence and provides an opportunity to make required improvements before the final certification determination.
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- Obtain your ASC Farm Standard certificate: Following the assessment process, certification is granted if your farming operation meets all applicable ASC Farm Standard requirements.
- Maintain certification: Continue to meet ASC Farm Standard requirements and participate in the required certification activities to maintain your certified status.
ASC Farm - FAQ
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ASC stands for Aquaculture Stewardship Council, an international organisation that sets standards for responsible aquaculture.
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ASC certified seafood comes from farms that have been independently assessed against applicable ASC Farm Standard requirements for responsible aquaculture. Where products are sold as ASC Farm Standard certified, traceability through the supply chain is also subject to applicable MSC-ASC Chain of Custody requirements and consequent certification. -
The ASC Farm Standard is a global standard for responsible seafood farming. It sets requirements covering farm management, environmental stewardship, human rights, and animal health and welfare.
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An ASC Farm Standard certified site has been independently assessed against the applicable requirements of the ASC Farm Standard. Certification demonstrates that the farm meets requirements covering responsible farm management, environmental and social performance, and animal health and welfare.
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The ASC Farm Standard provides a consistent framework for assessing responsible aquaculture practices. It addresses key environmental and social impacts of seafood farming as well as farm management, human rights, and animal health and welfare.
ASC Training
ASC Social Auditing - Internal Auditor Training
A course designed to provide participants with the knowledge and skills to conduct social audits according to ASC standards.
Discover ASC Social Auditing - Internal Auditor Training
More information
Aquaculture Stewardship Council standard
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Aquaculture Stewardship Council
The ASC homepage
ASC download centre
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WWF Sustainable Seafood
About the Aquaculture Dialogues
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