Environmental certifications

Certifications carried out by external third parties have a strong focus on sustainability. Farming companies must meet a number of requirements in the various standards in order to be certified. Here are some of the most well-known standards:

Fish farm in a norwegian fjord with snow covered mountains
To become certified, salmon farms must meet a range of established requirements. Photo: Norwegian Seafood Council

GLOBALG.AP

GLOBALG.AP is a certification scheme for agriculture, animal husbandry and aquaculture. Aquaculture has to meet criteria for the environment and ecology, animal welfare, food safety and staff health and safety. The standard covers the entire production chain from broodstock and feed suppliers to farming, slaughtering and processing. In order to be certified, annual self-inspections as well as inspections by independent parties should be carried out.

 

The Aquaculture Stewardship Council

The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) is a certification program for sustainable aquaculture. The ASC was established by the WWF and the Dutch Sustainable Trade Initiative in 2009. The standard for farmed salmon was developed through the Salmon Aquaculture Dialogue forum, which was coordinated by WWF. Companies are inspected by an independent party before they are awarded this eco-label. The aim is to reduce the effect the aquaculture industry has on the environment and society.

 

Best Aquaculture Practices

Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) is a certification standard for seafood, developed by the Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA). It is partly relevant for salmon farming. BAP sets standards for the environment, social responsibility, food safety, animal welfare and traceability. The requirements cover the entire production chain. A BAP-certified aquaculture company should also pay attention to biodiversity, soil and water management and handling of chemical substances. Independent inspectors visit the companies before certification.

 

Useful links

GLOBALG.AP: https://www.globalgap.org/uk_en/

Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC): https://www.asc-aqua.org

Best Aquaculture Practices: http://bap.gaalliance.org/