Shaping Responsible Aquaculture in Protected Areas
ASC Initiates 30-Day Stakeholder Consultation
The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) has launched a 30-day stakeholder consultation aimed at exploring how aquaculture practices can responsibly coexist within and around protected areas. Running from March 9 to April 9, this initiative aims to collect insights from various stakeholders and is part of ASC’s broader mission to mitigate environmental risks to biodiversity, habitats, and ecosystem functions in these vital regions.
Opportunities for Alignment
According to ASC Environmental Standards Coordinator Dan Auwkit, the expansion of aquaculture is essential for feeding a growing global population, while protected areas are also increasing. He asserts, “There is a clear opportunity to better align food production with conservation goals. By providing clarity on how aquaculture can operate responsibly, we can support biodiversity protection and promote responsible aquaculture practices for the future.”
Engaging a Diverse Range of Stakeholders
During the consultation, ASC will engage a wide array of stakeholders, aiming to ensure that the resulting framework is both scientifically sound and practical. Key participants will include producers, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), academia, representatives from civil society, retailers, brands, suppliers, industry actors, and certification bodies, with multiple opportunities at key stages for input.
A Practical, Risk-Based Approach
The initiative includes a comprehensive review of existing ASC requirements and their guidelines, comparing them with the categories established by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and relevant national legislation. This will help identify gaps or inconsistencies that need addressing.
A key output of this consultation will be a risk-based compatibility assessment that evaluates where aquaculture operations can align with protected area objectives. This assessment will employ broad criteria, allowing farms to understand how their activities correspond with protected area goals while also providing a consistent evaluation method for auditors.
Future Developments and Outputs
By the end of the project in 2028, ASC aims to revise its standards within a future version of the ASC Farm Standard, update the Interpretation Manual, and produce a joint white paper with IUCN. The developed framework will undergo testing in selected areas to guarantee that it is practical, scalable, and relevant across various regulatory and ecological contexts.
Supporting Biodiversity and Communities
This consultation also seeks to clarify the operational frameworks for aquaculture within protected areas while ensuring alignment with globally recognized conservation frameworks, including the IUCN protected area categories and the Global Biodiversity Framework.
The initiative centers around creating a practical and audit-ready framework, developed in conjunction with key stakeholders and experts, aimed at offering clear guidance for assessing the compatibility of aquaculture activities with conservation goals. This effort is designed to enhance audit reliability, bolster ASC’s credibility with governments and conservation organizations, and support socio-economic considerations.
How to Participate
To participate in the consultation and provide feedback, click here to access the consultation page.
Image: Pixabay
