Tasmanian salmon producer, Tassal, has gained Aquaculture Stewardship Council certification across all its farming operations – a first for any salmon company in the world.
Aquaculture is the fastest growing animal food producing sector in the world, seeking to meet the growing demand for seafood, while reducing pressure on wild capture fisheries.
Tassal has been moving towards reaching full ASC certification since 2012, working in partnership with WWF-Australia.
WWF recognises ASC certification as the highest global standard available internationally for responsibly farmed seafood; providing third-party validation for practices which reduce impacts on the marine environment, protecting local surroundings and wildlife, and supporting local communities.
To meet the ASC’s responsible Salmon Standard, Tassal implemented upgrades including:
- Reducing reliance of fish meal and fish oil in feed; resulting in reduced pressure on wild fish stocks and less pressure on the environment through improved feed formulations.
- Removing the last copper treated nets from the water in June this year, replacing them with Kikko nets, made from semi-rigid polyester monofilament.
- Creation of a full ASC dashboard which reports in real time any antibiotic use, wildlife interactions or unexplained fish loss across all of Tassal’s marine sites. All reports are available publically online and are fully audited.
- Development of a new fish health department, including onsite lab, two vets, a fish health field officer and lab technician, as well as the development of a zero harm fish welfare program.
According to head of sustainability at Tassal, Linda Sams, the Australian aquaculture industry performs well in setting and implementing environmental regulations, but lacks transparency.
“Transparency was a key focus for us and is why we created our annual sustainability report, our ASC dashboard, and why we ensure our data is fully audited before being put into the public domain. This level of transparency is one which we feel genuinely sets us apart from others in the industry.”
According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), more than half of fish consumed globally by 2021 will be farmed seafood.