Global salmon farming makes a game-changing commitment

Under the umbrella of the Global Salmon Initiative (GSI), the world’s 15 leading farmed salmon producers made a big sustainability commitment last week by agreeing to certify 100% of their operations by 2020.
This is a big deal for responsible seafood farming, and will place 70% of global salmon production under the independent Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) standard. The process will cover farms primarily based in Scotland, Norway, Chile and Canada.
Why is this ASC commitment so important? Aquaculture is the fastest-growing food production system on the planet. About five years ago, fish and shellfish farming overtook wild harvests as the primary source of seafood in people’s diets. Then two years ago, aquaculture production surpassed global beef production.
The industry’s rapid growth has not come without heavy costs to the environment. If we are to meet the food needs of a growing global population while still maintaining healthy ocean and freshwater ecosystems, it is essential and urgent that farmed seafood producers take meaningful steps to reduce the harmful impacts of aquaculture.
Nobody understands this better than Jason Clay, chair of WWF’s Global Initiative for Market Transformation. Watch his remarks on the landmark GSI commitment below:

“As demand for farmed seafood increases on a finite planet with limited resources, production systems will have to become more efficient and do more with less, “ – Jason Clay.
In January 2013, ASC-certified tilapia started to appear on Loblaw supermarket shelves across Canada, as part of the company’s commitment to source sustainable seafood.
In addition to Loblaw, WWF is working with partners around the world on sustainable aquaculture standards for 12 farmed seafood species, a group that includes tilapia, Atlantic salmon and shrimp.
There’s still a lot that needs to be done to ensure that the 15 companies involved in this new sustainability commitment  reach their ambitious goal of 100% ASC certification. WWF will support them in this process, working with scientists to advise companies on their progress and developing a platform to share technology and best practices.

And while the GSI commitment marks an important step to improvements in worldwide aquaculture practices, seafood farming is just one of many threats to marine ecosystems that require solutions. In Canada and around the world, WWF also works to address a range of other human impacts — including overfishing, climate change, and marine pollution – in order to secure a healthy future for our oceans.
To learn more about ASC, check out this video.