Boston — The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) announced that Taylor Shellfish Farms has become the first U.S. grower to achieve responsible aquaculture certification for a farming operation in Washington State.
The Shelton, Wash. based company received ASC Bivalve Certification for its operation in the South Puget Sound basin, which comprises the Hood Canal and the area south of the Tacoma Narrows, including Olympia and Shelton. The certification was achieved after an on-site assessment by independent auditors SCS Global Services. Chris Ninnes, ASC’s CEO, announced the company’s certification on March 7th during Seafood Expo North America in Boston, MA.
The ASC is an independent, not-for-profit organization co-founded by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and The Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH) in 2010 to manage the certification of responsible fish farming across the globe. An independent, international organization, the ASC aims to transform the aquaculture industry to a higher standard through a global certification and labelling program with a focus on good management practices, including the conservation and quality of water resources. The certification system meets international codes of good conduct, including FAO Guidelines for eco-labelling and ISEAL Standard Setting Codes.
“Taylor Shellfish Farms is dedicated to providing our customers with the freshest, highest quality shellfish available and doing so in ways that respect the environment, our communities and the people who work for us,” said Bill Taylor, company CEO. “We believe the ASC to be the gold standard for assessing shellfish farm performance, and we are very gratified to have completed the work to become the first farm in the U.S. to achieve this certification.”
“This achievement distinguishes Taylor Shellfish as an innovator in the seafood market and is proof of their strong commitment to responsible farming and good social practices,” said Chris Ninnes, CEO of the ASC. “We are thrilled they have become the first farm in the United States to join the programme. The U.S. is a hugely important market in terms of global aquaculture consumption and, by partnering with industry leaders such as Taylor Shellfish, we can make a strong case that responsibly farmed fish is better for business and better for the environment.”
The company says it will actively pursue certification for all its farm operations in Washington State.
The ASC Bivalve Standards evaluates the performance of shellfish operations against criteria related to the natural environment and biodiversity; water resources and water quality; species diversity, including wild populations; disease and pest management and resource efficiency. The standards also address social issues related to a company’s engagement and support of local communities and the quality of the workplace for employees.
The ASC bivalve standard was finalized in 2012 and the first shellfish farm was certified in South America in 2014.
“Consumers, wholesalers and retailers increasingly want to understand and validate how the products they sell or consume come to market,” Taylor said. “The ASC’s independence, high standards and transparent process provide a strong assurance that companies that pursue certification take responsible shellfish farming very seriously.”
Credibility and independence, core values of the ASC, are underpinned by the transparency of the audit process. ASC does not audit the farms itself and the standard is also completely independent of the seafood industry. Assessment and verification of compliance is performed by an external, third-party auditors known as a certification body. The certification bodies are in turn accredited and monitored by Accreditation Service International (ASI), an independent, international organization associated with ISEAL.
Meaningful engagement is also built into the ASC certification program and public feedback and input from stakeholders is actively solicited during the certification process. Every audit report is made public on the ASC’s website, allowing for stakeholder input through a public comment period, a unique feature of the ASC program, to ensure that the principles of inclusiveness and openness are preserved.
These principles are also enshrined within the ASC’s organizational structure and approach. Everything from standard setting to certification is done in a transparent manner. The ASC engages with NGO’s, academic experts and non-profits to ensure that the standards remain meaningful and robust.
Despite the fact that the first farm only entered assessment in late 2012, at the time of writing there are 243 ASC certified farms in 27 countries and over 100 more in assessment. Certification is available for the most in-demand seafood and the program has an estimated total production volume of more than one million tons. Consumers can enjoy ASC certified products in more than 54 countries and the program continues to grow to meet global demand.
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About ASC
The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) is an independent, not-for-profit organization co-founded by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and The Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH) in 2010 to manage the certification of responsible fish farming across the globe.
The ASC standards require farm performance to be measured against both environmental and social requirements. Certification is through an independent third party process and draft reports are uploaded to the public ASC website.
The on-pack ASC logo guarantees to consumers that the fish they purchase has been farmed with minimal impacts on the environment and on society.
The ASC standard addresses the following seven principles:
– Legal compliance (obeying the law, the legal right to be there)
– Preservation of the natural environment and biodiversity
– Preservation of the water resources and water quality
– Preservation of the diversity of species and wild populations (for example, minimizing escapes that could become a threat to wild fish)
– Monitored and responsible use of animal feed and other resources
– Animal health (no unnecessary use of antibiotics and chemicals)
– Social responsibility (for example, no child labor, health and safety of employees, freedom of assembly, community relations).
About Taylor Shellfish Farms
The company is a 5th generation family-owned shellfish farm based in Washington State. The company produces Manila clams, Mediterranean mussels, geoduck and a variety of live, shucked and frozen oysters for local, national and international markets. The business employs 550 and operates on 11,000 acres of tidelands along Puget Sound, the Washington Coast and British Columba. The company also operates hatchery and nursery facilities in Hawaii and California, a shellfish distribution business in Hong Kong and three oyster bars in Seattle. The company is active in culinary, philanthropic and community efforts, as well as conservation and policy issues that include water quality, ocean acidification and habitat restoration.
Contacts
Aquaculture Stewardship Council
Sun Brage, Communication Manager
+31 (0) 30 2305 692
sun.brage@asc-aqua.org
www.asc-aqua.org
Taylor Shellfish Farms
Bill Dewey, Director Public Affairs
360-790-2330
BillD@taylorshellfish.com
www.taylorshellfishfarms.com
Source: The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC)