Bakkafrost salmon farms are first in world to gain stricter ASC certification
Bakkafrost has become the first Atlantic salmon producer in the world to have farms certified against the Aquaculture Stewardship Council Farm Standard that brings ASC’s species-specific farm standards together into one rigorous, science-based framework.
ASC said that for the salmon industry, the Farm Standard strengthens requirements for fish health and welfare, including handling, disease prevention, and treatment use. It also maintains restrictions on siting in protected areas and introduces a tiered approach to seabed-impact monitoring, alongside strengthened requirements for sensitive water bodies and data sharing.
The accreditation body said Bakkafrost had chosen to adopt the ASC Farm Standard well ahead of the transition deadline of May 1, 2028. The fish farmer’s experience with ASC certification and established management systems provided a strong foundation for the early transition, while supporting further alignment of risk management, performance measurement, transparency and continuous improvement.
Three sites
Three Bakkafrost farming sites in the Faroes have now achieved certification against the Farm Standard, and the company is progressing the transition of its remaining farming sites in the Faroe Islands and Scotland.
The achievement builds on more than a decade of ASC certification at Bakkafrost. Its Gøtuvík farm became the first ASC-certified salmon farm in the Faroe Islands in 2015. In April 2026, the Group announced that 100% of its salmon farming operations in the Faroe Islands and Scotland were ASC-certified.
ASC chief executive Chris Ninnes said the certification of Bakkafrost farms against the new standard was an important milestone for ASC and demonstrated Bakkafrost’s leading role in the salmon sector.
Early adopter
“As an early adopter, Bakkafrost has invested significant time and effort in working through the transition, and we recognise the commitment this has required,” said Ninnes.
“Their experience has also been invaluable for ASC, giving us practical insights into how the Farm Standard is implemented within an established salmon farming operation and where we can continue to improve the transition process.
“This is the kind of collaboration that helps make a global standard work in practice. Bakkafrost’s experience will provide important learnings as more salmon producers begin their transition.”
Broader framework
Anna Johansen, group quality, enironment, safety, and health director at Bakkafrost, said the ASC Farm Standard offers a broader, more integrated framework for managing environmental performance, fish health and welfare, social responsibility and operational risks.
“Our long experience with ASC certification and established management systems gave us a strong foundation for meeting the requirements. The transition has also helped us strengthen our systems, improve transparency and establish a clearer basis for measuring performance and driving continuous improvement.”
