Plymouth, UK — In recognition of responsible seafood farming in the United Kingdom, Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) held the fourth annual UK Awards in partnership with the Marine Stewardship Council at The Box in Plymouth, on October 16.
Now in its second year, the ASC Brand of the Year award was picked up by Fish Said Fred. With a commitment to source 100% ASC certified farmed seafood, Sainsbury’s won the ASC UK Retailer of the Year award for an impressive third year in a row and Lyons Seafoods bagged the ASC UK Retail Supplier of the Year award.
ASC CEO Chris Ninnes said, “Congratulations to Sainsbury’s, Fish Said Fred, and Lyons Seafoods for their well-deserved wins! These awards acknowledge the significant effort it takes for a retailer, brand, and supplier to deliver 100% commitment to only sell responsibly produced seafood in the UK every single day.
“As ASC grows within the UK, I hope that these commitments become the norm in the UK as they are in other markets and will encourage more local processors, farmers and retailers to join us in this journey to transform the seafood farming sector towards more sustainable practices.”
The UK Awards aim to promote companies that make the greatest impact in driving sustainability within the seafood industry and boost consumer demand for ASC labelled seafood. The winning businesses meet the strictest requirements for responsibly farmed seafood that’s been produced with care for people and our planet.
ASC UK Brand of the Year
Fish Said Fred, a company owned by New England Seafood International, was crowned the ASC UK Brand of the Year for their range of ASC labelled seafood products, and for their active promotion and involvement in the ASC programme. This category awards the brand making the greatest impact in driving and meeting consumer demand for certified responsible seafood.
Ruth Hoban, Head of Sustainability at New England Seafood International, said, “Fish Said Fred is delighted to receive this recognition. We continuously strive to go above and beyond across our organisation and the ASC certification supports us to do that”
“We are proud to promote responsibly sourced seafood products to seafood lovers who are increasingly aware and concerned about the provenance, ethics and sustainability of the food they buy. Taking care from sea to plate, we also thank our dedicated farming partners to consistently deliver responsibly sourced seafood to the tough standards of the ASC.”
ASC UK Retailer of the Year
Sainsbury’s has been the consistent winner of the ASC UK Retailer of the Year Award with their 100% commitment to sourcing ASC certified farmed seafood. This Award goes to the retailer that has the largest share of ASC labelled seafood products in store and online.
David Parker, Head of Aquaculture and Fisheries at Sainsbury’s, said, “We’re very proud to have won this award for the third year in a row. Responsibly sourced seafood is something we are passionate about and it’s fantastic to get this recognition for the range of ASC labelled products available in our stores. We look forward to continuing our work with the ASC to expand this range even more, as it means a lot to us to offer responsibly farmed seafood to our customers. It’s a huge team effort to make this possible, so this award is really for everyone involved.”
ASC UK Retail Supplier of the Year
The ASC UK Retail Supplier of the Year was awarded to Lyons Seafoods, based on nominations by UK retail. This Award recognises the winner’s role in expanding the availability of certified responsible seafood and meeting growing consumer demand.
Lyons Seafoods Managing Director Mark Newton said, “Lyons Seafoods is delighted to have received the ASC UK Retail Supplier of the Year Award 2024. This award acknowledges the amazing work carried out by our dedicated farming partners and the team at Lyons Seafoods towards responsible aquaculture for now and well into the future.
“It is fantastic to be recognised by UK retail for the work we do in aquaculture. Partnering with long-term suppliers, we are able to continuously drive improvements in the industry which are acknowledged through the standards set by the ASC.”
Growing range of ASC labelled seafood
Maud van den Haspel, ASC General Manager for the UK and Benelux, said, “The ASC awards are a fantastic opportunity for us to acknowledge and reward the hard work that our winning partners have put in over the past year to offer a growing range of ASC labelled seafood to seafood lovers in the UK.”
In 2024, demand for ASC labelled seafood continued to grow and there are now 744 ASC labelled products available across the UK – a 17% increase since October 2023.
Reflecting this growing consumer demand, 76 farm sites in the UK are now ASC certified – representing a 55% increase since October 2023. Five more farms are in the initial audit stage, with the aim of being certified by the end of 2024.
Previous winners of the ASC UK Awards include retailers Sainsbury’s and Lidl, retail supplier New England Seafood International and the seafood brand MOWI.
About the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC)
Setting The Standard for Seafood.
ASC is driving the world’s leading certification programme for responsibly farmed seafood.
ASC is leading the transformation of the seafood farming industry towards environmental sustainability and social responsibility by setting the most robust standards and providing the highest assurance, integrity and transparency throughout the supply chain.
Our vision is a world where aquaculture plays a major role in supplying food and social benefits for humanity whilst minimising negative impacts on the environment.
Our standards ensure that seafood with the ASC label has been farmed with care.
