{"id":1394250,"date":"2024-12-16T14:40:49","date_gmt":"2024-12-16T13:40:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/asc-aqua.org\/?post_type=blog&p=1394250"},"modified":"2024-12-16T14:40:50","modified_gmt":"2024-12-16T13:40:50","slug":"2024-a-year-of-milestones-and-success-for-asc-and-more-to-come-in-2025","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/asc-aqua.org\/blog\/2024-a-year-of-milestones-and-success-for-asc-and-more-to-come-in-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"2024: A Year of Milestones And Success For ASC \u2013 And More To Come In 2025!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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As 2024 comes to a close, Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) is celebrating a year filled with unique milestones and achievements across the globe. We recognise ASC farms and feed mills and partners around the world who continue to make significant changes towards sustainability, ultimately ensuring that farmed seafood is produced responsibly.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Increasing impact<\/p>\n

Throughout 2024, ASC has expanded its reach and impact, working with farmers, retailers, seafood suppliers and consumers to raise awareness about the importance of responsible farmed seafood. Our growing impact was demonstrated in our 2023 Impact Report<\/a> which showcased significant advances in our programmes, demonstrating our impact and the continued expansion of our global presence and supply, and ultimately driving transformation within the industry. The new ASC interactive Impacts Dashboard<\/a> launched earlier this year enhances transparency and highlights the wide range of environmental and social impacts delivered by the ASC programme.<\/p>\n

Around the world, our presence is also growing steadily. In our biggest consumer survey carried out to date<\/a>, ASC was the most recognised and trusted farmed\u00a0<\/strong>seafood label\u00a0in all countries surveyed, scoring significantly higher than other responsible farmed seafood programme labels.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Programme advances<\/p>\n

2024 was \u2018the year of feed\u2019 as we continued to support feed mills in becoming certified against the ASC Feed Standard<\/a> and supported farms in sourcing ASC compliant aquafeed. Uptake of the ASC Feed Standard has been strong and it has the backing of key players in the feed industry including BioMar, Skretting, Cargill and Thai Union as \u2018the right thing to do\u2019. To date, 21 feed mill sites have achieved certification in Mexico, Chile, Thailand, Ecuador, Vietnam, Honduras, the UK, Canada and Norway.<\/p>\n

In the most substantial update to our programme to date, ASC is bringing together its twelve species-specific standards into one robust ASC Farm Standard<\/a> to provide greater consistency across all species covered by ASC. The team has been working hard throughout 2024 to finalise the content following extensive stakeholder consultation. The new ASC Farm Standard will launch in early 2025 and is a major and exciting development to drive meaningful change in the seafood farming sector. \u00a0Watch this space for news on a suite of new services, tools and launch plans for the Farm Standard in 2025.<\/p>\n

We continued to advance our Improver Programme by ASC<\/a> which supports farms that are not ready or eligible for ASC certification but are committed to improving their farming practices through an Aquaculture Improvement Project (AIP). 2024 was the first full year of implementation of the Improver Programme, after its launch in September 2023 at the Global Shrimp Forum.<\/p>\n

The programme has gone from strength-to-strength with successful collaborations and engagement with stakeholders in Indonesia, Bangladesh, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Nicaragua, Iran, and Ghana. Two Aquaculture Improvement Projects (AIP) have\u00a0successfully achieved ASC certification and another 15 AIPs are ongoing, covering more than 125 smallholders.<\/p>\n

We continue to collaborate with partners in transforming the industry. This year, three agreements have been put in place: a five-year agreement with WWF-Malaysia to strengthen collaboration and increase awareness and the number of AIP farms in Malaysia; an agreement implementing a jurisdictional AIP with NGO Kaleka in the Seruyan district of Indonesia; and an agreement towards responsible aquaculture between ASC and Jeonnam Province in Korea, a region responsible for over 60% of Korea\u2019s seafood production.<\/p>\n

This positive recognition has enabled the team to expand their work scope from shrimp farming in Asia to the global level and the Improver Programme is now opening to tilapia farming for those interested in improving practices using our credible framework.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFeeding in action on a salmon farm in Chile\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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Event success<\/p>\n

Throughout the year, ASC continued to connect retailers with farms through our unique Discovery Tours, with trips to Norway, Greece and Chile in 2024. Journalists from the US joined us for the first time on the Greece tour, opening their eyes to how ASC certified farms operate. These experiences not only enhance seafood buyers\u2019 understanding of responsible aquaculture but also create valuable opportunities for producers to connect with the global market.<\/p>\n

The ASC team was out delivering speeches, taking part in panels, meeting customers and making new connections at events round the globe in 2024. We met with customers at the world’s largest seafood expos held in Boston, Barcelona, and Singapore, engaging with industry leaders and stakeholders through dynamic panel discussions while sharing valuable insights and knowledge.<\/p>\n

Other notable events in 2024 saw CEO Chris Ninnes delivering keynote speeches at Tokyo Sustainable Seafood Summit and at IntraFish International Salmon Week. We enjoyed another hugely successful Global Shrimp Forum<\/a> in Utrecht and are looking forward to another stimulating programme next year from 2 \u2013 4 September 2025.<\/p>\n

2024 saw ASC debut at South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas, where our US team held a number of engaging events focusing on ASC certified products to increase awareness of our sea green brand with American consumers.<\/p>\n

We look forward to a number of exciting events next year including the World Ocean Summit and Expo in Tokyo, the UN Ocean Conference in Nice and the Blue Food Innovation Summit in London.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSeafood retailers, journalists and ASC staff visit Avramar\u2019s research and development facility in Managouli Fokida\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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ASC impact around the globe<\/p>\n

Our local teams around the world have been busy in 2024 connecting with producers and market players and delivering innovative and impactful marketing campaigns to promote the ASC label to consumers.<\/p>\n

Nordic Region<\/strong><\/p>\n

2024 was a startup year in the Nordic region. The team has built a social media presence in Sweden and Denmark, collaborated with partners, kicked off producer marketing activities and created a marketing and communications strategy with ambitious goals. Over the year, successful influencer campaigns have run in Sweden, laying the groundwork for further success in 2025.<\/p>\n\"\"\n

ASC Nordic region builds social media presence highlighting responsibly produced seafood recipes.<\/em><\/p>\n

With additional capacity for producer outreach, marketing and communication, the team has been able to start a producer marketing programme, focusing on Norwegian salmon producers, to better understand how the ASC can support them.<\/p>\n

Northwest Europe<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2018Think Fish Week\u2019 2024 was one of the campaign highlights in Northwest Europe, creating huge awareness about responsible seafood across the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Austria and Switzerland (DACH). In Belgium, ASC and MSC and Iglo co-created a video showcasing the value of partnerships in promoting sustainable seafood, achieving nearly two million impressions and a 1million reach.<\/p>\n\"\"\n

The DACH region also continued its consumer campaign which positioned ASC-labelled salmon as the preferred choice for consumers and businesses, emphasising its environmental and social benefits. The campaign effectively targeted both B2B and B2C audiences, with highlights including impactful out-of-home advertising like branded shopping carts that achieved over 5.5 million impressions, and high-relevance influencer collaborations to increase awareness. It also featured well-received advertorials in retailer magazines and premium culinary publications, along with engaging sampling sessions at seafood festivals to provide one-on-one consumer experiences.<\/p>\n\"\"\n

Think Fish Week 2024: inspiring consumers to make responsible seafood choices with ASC.<\/em><\/p>\n

In recognition of responsible seafood farming in the United Kingdom, ASC held the fourth annual UK Awards in partnership with MSC, ultimately crowning Fish Said Fred as the ASC Brand of the Year, Sainsbury\u2019s as the ASC UK Retailer of the Year and Lyons Seafoods as the ASC UK Retail Supplier of the Year award.<\/p>\n

Summer 2024 in the UK also saw an in-store ASC and MSC consumer campaign in all Sainsbury\u2019s stores to celebrate their double award win in 2023. The campaign, which included influencer collaborations and interactive social media activities, engaged seafood lovers in making responsible seafood choices.<\/p>\n

Southern Europe<\/strong><\/p>\n

In 2024, ASC officially entered the Italian, Spanish and Portuguese markets to support local partners and raise awareness about the ASC label with consumers. A press lunch was held in Milan for journalists to taste ASC certified seabream and mussels and discuss responsible seafood farming. Two ASC certified farms joined the event and shared their experiences about the value ASC certification has added to their business.<\/p>\n\"\"\n

Desir\u00e9e Pesci, Market Development Manager Italy, presents the ASC programme to journalists in <\/em>Milan.<\/em><\/p>\n

The first consumer campaign in Spain was launched with El Corte Ingl\u00e9s which became the first retailer selling ASC certified fish at their fresh fish counters. More than 400 fish counter staff were trained on the ASC programme so they could educate consumers.<\/p>\n

In France, as part of Monaco Ocean Week, ASC convened a roundtable to examine the transformative role which sustainable investments and blue finance can play in protecting the oceans. In May, ASC France also hosted its First Partner Day, bringing together 43 stakeholders from across the industry.<\/p>\n

North America<\/strong><\/p>\n

ASC touched down in the vibrant and seafood-loving city of Atlanta, kicking off with the Summer Seafood Series. ASC partnered with Atlanta-based distributor Inland Foods, local seafood restaurant Fishmonger and local retailer Kathleen’s Catch for an exciting promotion educating shoppers and diners about the ASC label. This was ASC North America’s first concurrent restaurant and retail promotion in a single market.<\/p>\n\"\"\n

The \u201cSummer Seafood Series\u201d connected thousands of Atlanta seafood enthusiasts.<\/em><\/p>\n

In another major achievement, Holland America became the first cruise line to source seafood for their cruise passengers from international global certifications, with both ASC and MSC certifications.<\/p>\n

Asia Pacific<\/strong><\/p>\n

Japan celebrated Sustainable Seafood Week 2024 by presenting a Certificate of Appreciation to comedian Hiroyuki Baba, in recognition for his outstanding contributions over the past two years in raising awareness of the ASC label in Japan. The team hosted a culinary showdown with Baba and popular chef Ry\u016bji featuring sustainable seafood designed to inspire home cooking.<\/p>\n\"\"\n

ASC recognised Japanese comedian Hiroyuki Baba for his continuous efforts to promote the label and responsible seafood in Japan.<\/em><\/p>\n

2024 saw the launch of “SeaAsu-kun”, – Japan\u2019s New ASC Mascot which embodies ASC\u2019s mission of protecting the future of our oceans while promoting sustainable and responsible aquaculture. A public competition was held to choose the name, with “SeaAsu-kun,” chosen by Hiroyuki Baba. The name combines three key elements – “Sea” representing the ocean, “Asu” meaning tomorrow in Japanese, and “ASC” to symbolise the organisation.<\/p>\n

Another highlight of 2024 was the Japanese team\u2019s visit to Thailand with NGO partner Seafood Legacy for them to learn more about the ASC Improver Programme.<\/p>\n

In South Korea, ASC hosted the Korea Sustainable Aquaculture Seminar 2024 which focused on transitioning to ecosystem-based sustainable seafood.<\/p>\n

A special cross-regional learning and experience exchange Benchmark Tour was also organised by the ASC South Korean team in Thailand which brought together South Korean producers to visit ASC certified shrimp sites across Thailand.<\/p>\n

Looking forward to 2025<\/p>\n

ASC CEO Chris Ninnes said, \u201cI would first like to thank all the seafood farmers that have achieved ASC certification, now in 52 countries, all of their partners in the supply chain that deliver our labelled products into the market and\u00a0the retailers and food service outlets commitments to stock and sell them. The collective action of all of these clients helps drive our shared ambition to reduce the environmental and social impact of seafood farming.<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course, this ambition can only be met with the support of the entire team at ASC for their continued hard work and dedication. It is really quite incredible to look back on the huge range of achievements from the last 12 months, helping to drive improvements for seafood, people and planet. The ASC family also extends into the many dedicated individuals who volunteer to run and engage with both our Supervisory and our Technical Boards. Without them the organisation would not function. This family also includes the hundreds of individuals who also give up their time to advise us on the adequacy (or not) of the many documents we seek consultation on. Again all of their inputs are invaluable.<\/p>\n

\u201cNone of our work can be achieved solely by the ASC, so as we celebrate our collective achievements, I would also like to thank our partners for their ongoing collaboration and support, including Marine Stewardship Council, Sustainable Fisheries Partnership, Global Shrimp Forum, The Conservation Alliance for Seafood Solutions, and the Certification and Ratings Collaboration. We also continue to strengthen relationships with a growing group of UN agencies, including FAO, and the World Bank, who have helped significantly enhance our initiatives and broaden our impact.<\/p>\n

\u201cLooking ahead, 2025 is going to be a big year for ASC and we are all excited about the improvements and opportunities that the next 12 months will bring. We remain committed to our mission of transforming aquaculture for the benefit of people and planet and the launch of our new Farm Standard and the ongoing implementation of the Feed Standard will be pivotal in achieving this. I very much look forward to maintaining existing collaborations but also developing new ones. And I invite everyone to continue to champion the many benefits of sustainable seafood farming throughout 2025. Together, we can make a difference and ensure that future generations can enjoy these benefits.\u201d<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Learn more<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\tShrimp, Sustainability, and Scale: ASC and SFP Launch Roadmap for Aquaculture Reform\u00a0\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t
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\n\t\t\t\tASC Digital Hub Redefines Access to Certification Documentation\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t
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\n\t\t\t\tCertified for Change: 18 Feed Mills achieve ASC Feed Certification so far in 2025\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t
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\n\t\t\t\tASC Seeks New Board Members and Appoints Technical Advisors to Strengthen Global Leadership in Responsible Seafood Farming\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t
\n\t\t \n Read more <\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":1290802,"template":"","tags":[],"blog_cats":[],"class_list":["post-1394250","blog","type-blog","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/asc-aqua.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog\/1394250","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/asc-aqua.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/asc-aqua.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/blog"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/asc-aqua.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1290802"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/asc-aqua.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1394250"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/asc-aqua.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1394250"},{"taxonomy":"blog_cats","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/asc-aqua.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog_cats?post=1394250"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}