New consumer label for responsibly farmed seafood welcomed

The environmental group made the call in response to this week's launch by the (ASC), of a new consumer label that will enable consumers to more easily choose responsibly farmed seafood.

The ASC label is complimentary to the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) label, which is used on certified and sustainably wild caught fish. The introduction of the ASC certification programme is seen as an important step towards demonstrating to consumers that the fish comes from producers who have worked to limit their impact on the environment and have also demonstrated social responsibility towards their workforce. Welcoming the label’s launch, WWF Scotland’s aquaculture policy officer Piers Hart, said: “If we are to succeed in driving down the environmental and social impacts of farmed seafood here and globally then it is vital retailers, suppliers and consumers in the UK get fully behind this scheme. “Along with existing schemes highlighting responsibly caught wild fish we hope this logo will give consumers the confidence to make the best choices when buying farmed seafood whether it is imported or produced in the UK. “When consumers buy seafood with this logo they can be assured that the product is produced using global best practice in environmental and social management and technology. In the coming years we expect to see this logo appearing on seafood products in ever increasing frequency.”