ASC launches search for UK aquaculture Farmer of the Year
Workers at Aquaculture Stewardship Council-certified farms in the UK have been given the chance to net a new Farmer of the Year award from the accreditation organisation.
“Farmers are the foundation of the ASC programme. Introducing a Farmer of the Year award is an important way of recognising the people whose commitment and innovation are helping move seafood farming forward,” said Maud van den Haspel, ASC general manager for the UK and Benelux.
“Their achievements deserve to be celebrated, and we hope their stories will inspire others to follow.”
Employees of Mowi Scotland and Bakkafrost Scotland – the two UK salmon farmers certified by the ASC – will be among those eligible for the award.
Fishmonger of the Year
The Farmer of the Year accolade is one of two additions to the annual awards presented by the ASC and the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) for people and companies producing, using or selling farmed and wild-caught seafood that qualifies for the ASC / MSC labels.
The other new award is the MSC UK Fishmonger of the Year award, which is open to any business, large or small, that operates on the high street or online and sells MSC-certified fish.
Nominations are open until August 21, and the winners will be announced in October.
Public vote
There are now 18 categories in total – 13 MSC and six ASC, and consumers will again have the chance to have their say with a public vote for each organisation’s Product of the Year award via online voting platforms at MSC and ASC.
Among the winners in 2025, Tesco was crowned MSC UK Supermarket of the Year while Sainsbury’s won the ASC UK Retailer of the Year award.
The MSC UK Product of the Year 2025, voted for by consumers, was won by Waitrose for its No.1 Moules Marinière with Wild Garlic & Chardonnay, made with rope-grown mussels harvested in the Shetland Islands.
More details about the award categories, including how to submit a nomination or vote, can be found here.
