Shaping Responsible Aquaculture in and Around Protected Areas: ASC Launches 30-Day Stakeholder Consultation

Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) is launching a stakeholder consultation focused on how aquaculture can operate responsibly within and around Protected Areas. Running from 9 March to 9 April, the 30-day consultation will gather input from key stakeholders and forms part of ASC’s broader work to address environmental risks to biodiversity, habitats, and ecosystem processes in protected areas.

ASC Environmental Standards Coordinator Dan Auwkit says, “As aquaculture becomes central to feeding a growing global population and protected areas continue to expand, there is a clear opportunity to better align food production with conservation goals. By bringing greater clarity to how aquaculture can operate responsibly within or near protected areas, we can support biodiversity protection while enabling responsible aquaculture for the future.”

Throughout the consultation, ASC will engage a broad range of stakeholders to ensure the resulting framework is scientifically robust, practical, and aligned with global conservation objectives. We aim to reach producers, NGOs, academia, civil society representatives, retailers and brands, suppliers, industry actors and certification bodies, with multiple opportunities to provide input at key stages.

A practical, risk-based approach

The project will include a detailed review of existing ASC requirements and interpretation guidance, comparing them with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) protected area categories and relevant national legislation to identify gaps or inconsistencies. A key output will be the development of a risk-based compatibility assessment to help determine where aquaculture operations are compatible with the objectives of a protected area.

This assessment will use broad, practical criteria (not prescriptive thresholds) to provide farms with a clear understanding of how aquaculture activities may align with Protected Area objectives and give auditors a consistent way of assessing compliance across different contexts.

Key outputs, following project completion in 2028, will include revised requirements within a future version of the ASC Farm Standard ASC Standards, updated guidance in the Interpretation Manual, and a jointly developed ASC–IUCN white paper. The framework will be tested in selected geographies to ensure it is practical, scalable, and applicable across different regulatory and ecological contexts.

Supporting biodiversity, communities, and responsible development

The consultation seeks to clarify how aquaculture can operate within protected areas and ensure ASC certification requirements align with globally recognised conservation frameworks, including International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) protected area categories and the Global Biodiversity Framework. Central to this effort is the development of a practical, audit-ready framework co-developed with key stakeholders and technical experts.

The framework will provide clear, evidence-based guidance for assessing the compatibility of aquaculture activities with conservation objectives, reducing ambiguity, improving audit consistency, and strengthening ASC’s credibility with governments, conservation organisations, and market stakeholders. In parallel, the work will incorporate socio-economic considerations and further align ASC with established conservation and impact assessment frameworks such as Natura 2000, the Ramsar Convention, and World Heritage Convention impact assessment protocols.

To access the consultation and provide feedback, visit this page.

About the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC)

The ASC label on pack showcases ASC-certified farms and feed mills — impact-focused and transparent operations delivering measurable and verifiable change. They meet science-based, rigorous requirements that foster accountability and trust across the seafood value chain, from feed ingredients to farm to fork. 

ASC is an independent non-profit organisation setting the global standard for responsible farmed seafood. Our comprehensive environmental and social requirements drive continuous improvement in aquaculture practices. 

ASC is advancing the leading certification programme for responsible farmed seafood, partnering to increase demand for ASC-labelled products, and championing innovation through industry collaboration. 

Find out more: www.asc-aqua.org