ASC turns the spotlight on to human rights risks in supply chain

Certification organisation the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) today launched a 30-day stakeholder consultation on updating its Chain of Custody (CoC) Module and is seeking stakeholder input on a range of topics.

ASC said that a key objective in revising the Module is to strengthen how human rights risks are addressed within the supply chain.

ASC human tights team lead Clare Stevens said: "Human rights are as central to the ASC mission as environmental responsibility. As a high-risk activity for labour abuses and poor working conditions, processing is an area we want to focus on to strengthen protections throughout the supply chain.”

Slaughter requirements

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.

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 enforced."

Food safety

Other areas to be covered are potential improvements to the food safety requirement and alignment with Marine Stewardship Council’s CoC requirements. The stakeholder consultation will also consider potential additions such as digital traceability and improved supply chain assurance for ASC Improver Programme products.

Given the breadth of topics, ASC is looking for feedback from supply chain companies, processors and packers, supply chain companies who conduct slaughter operations, retailers, NGOs, union workers and representatives and auditors or other assurance providers.

The consultation can be accessed here.