Tassal achieves sustainability certification

Tassal’s major salmon farming site, Macquarie Harbour, has been certified to the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) standard by SCS Global Services.

The ASC standard is recognised as the most rigorous environmental and social sustainability certification program for farmed seafood products.

“Tassal’s ASC certification will not only provide market benefits for Tassal and its customers, but will also minimise impacts on the Tasmanian marine ecosystem,” said Robert J Hrubes, SCS Global Services’ Executive Vice President. “By achieving ASC certification, Tassal is demonstrating leadership in responsible salmon farming.”

Tassal has announced plans to have all six of its salmon farming sites certified under the ASC standard in the next 12 months. The company also plans to pursue ASC Chain of Custody certification for its processing sites. This certification will demonstrate that certified salmon is properly tracked and segregated from non-certified products throughout the supply chain.

The ASC certification demonstrates that Tassal’s operations conform to the seven core principles of the ASC standard, which include:

• biodiversity preservation in the surrounding ecosystem
• water-quality protection
• commitment to sustainable sourcing
• transparency with community stakeholders

In addition to the ASC certification, Tassal also conducted a life-cycle assessment (LCA) of its operations. The LCA findings established the baseline data used by Tassal to reduce ocean nutrient pollution by 400 tonnes.