Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) launched a 30-day stakeholder consultation on updating the ASC Chain of Custody (CoC) Module, running until 29 June 2025. ASC will seek stakeholder input on a range of topics. A key objective in revising the ASC Chain of Custody Module is to strengthen how human rights risks are addressed within the supply chain.
“Human rights are as central to the ASC mission as environmental responsibility. As a high-risk activity for labor abuses and poor working conditions, processing is an area we want to focus on to strengthen protections throughout the supply chain,” said ASC Human Rights Team Lead, Clare Stevens.
Another area is the inclusion of animal welfare slaughter requirements. Slaughter in seafood farming doesn’t always happen on the farm—it can take place further along the supply chain, such as at the first processing site. The CoC Module will be updated to cover such practices, aligning with the ASC Farm Standard.
Strict Animal Welfare Requirements
ASC Standards Manager for Health and Welfare, Maria Filipa Castanheira said, “This addition to the ASC Chain of Custody Module will ensure that wherever slaughter occurs in ASC certified supply chains, the same strict animal welfare requirements will be applied.”
Other areas to be covered are potential improvements to the food safety requirement and alignment with Marine Stewardship Council’s CoC review. The stakeholder consultation will also consider potential additions such as digital traceability and supply chain assurance for ASC Improver Program products.
Given the breadth of topics, ASC is looking for feedback from supply chain companies such as processors and packers, supply chain companies who conduct slaughter operations, retailers, NGOs, unions and worker representatives and auditors or other assurance providers.
The Inclusion of Atlantic Cod
Some days before the announcement, Aquaculture Stewardship Council launched another 30-day public consultation, this time on the inclusion of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) within the ASC certification and labelling program. To enable quick access to ASC certification, Atlantic cod will initially be added to the scope of ASC Salmon Standard v1.4. It will then be incorporated into the ASC Farm Standard, following the transition period until it becomes mandatory from May 2027 onwards. This gives cod farmers the same time to adapt to the updated requirements as those farming other species.
As quotas for wild-caught cod continue to decline, and market demand grows, farmed Atlantic cod is playing an increasingly important role in meeting global demand.
ASC Chief Commercial Officer Willem de Bruijn commented: “Including cod in the ASC certification program is a significant step forward to meet market demand while promoting responsible practices in the sector. It reflects our continued commitment to drive meaningful change in the seafood farming industry.”
Specific Environmental and Social Impacts
Atlantic cod farming practices share many similarities with salmon farming including production systems and rearing conditions. The core principles guiding salmonid farming are also relevant to Atlantic cod while environmental impacts -such as fishmeal and fish oil dependency- are comparable across both species. In Norway, both species are governed by the same strict regulations, ensuring consistent environmental and operational practices.
ASC Director of Standards and Science Michiel Fransen said, “Thanks to the similarities between cod and salmon farming, by making this addition to the ASC Salmon Standard we are able to address growing demand quickly and bring cod farmers into the ASC programme now, in advance of their adoption of the ASC Farm Standard.”
The consultation seeks to gather insights on the specific environmental and social impacts of farming Atlantic cod and to evaluate whether any additional considerations are needed for its inclusion under ASC Salmon Standard v1.4.
Key specific areas to be explored during the consultation include Forage Fish Dependency Ratio (FFDR) metrics, sea lice indicators, the impact of fingerlings suppliers, and any additional metrics that could enhance the assessment of Atlantic cod farming.
