Seafarm B.V., a recirculation turbot farm located in Zeeland, the Netherlands, is the first aquaculture facility in the world to achieve certification against the new ASC (Aquaculture Stewardship Council) Flatfish Standard.

While turbot farming generally occurs either at sea or in pond systems, Seafarm B.V. adopts a unique approach. Its innovative recirculating aquaculture system places a strong emphasis on energy efficiency, animal welfare and environmentally friendly practices. 

The ASC certification demonstrates Seafarm’s ongoing commitment to sustainable and responsible aquaculture practices. We would like to thank the management of Seafarm B.V. for choosing SGS as their independent certifier and to congratulate them on obtaining their ASC Farm Certification. 

What is the ASC Farm Certification?

ASC is one of the leading social and environmental sustainability standards for seafood, with ASC-certified products sold in over 90 countries and in roughly 20,000 product forms. The ASC standards for responsible aquaculture promote the latest industry best practices. The metric- and performance-based standards apply globally to farming systems covering a range of locations, production types and scales of operations. 

Benefits of ASC Farm Certification

The ASC Farm Standards are currently available for 17 species groups. They allow aquaculture companies to:

• Demonstrate that their organization minimizes environmental impacts and maintains the highest level of social responsibility when producing seafood products
• Meet the requirements of global retailers who require their seafood sources to be ASC-certified

The ASC Flatfish Standard, released in June 2019, is one of the newest additions to the suite of ASC Farm Standards. It allows aquaculture companies farming flounder, halibut or turbot to obtain ASC Farm Certification.

"Receiving the ASC certificate for our ecologic fish farm justifies the philosophy that we’ve adopted for many years here at Seafarm," says Adri Bout, founder of Seafarm and inventor of the full-circle method of fish farming, which prioritizes fish well-being above all else. "I have always believed that a happy fish is a healthy fish. We go to great lengths to ensure the animals’ well-being; for example, we never feed them any antibiotics. We are delighted that ASC recognizes our innovative approach as this means that our fish will be finding their way to consumers and wholesalers more easily."

Source: Seafarm B.V.