Aquaculture

Half of all fish that we consume is farmed fish. Farmed fish is a efficient way of producing high protein food. To produce one kilo of fisch you need less food than for a kilo of beef or pork. As the scope of aquaculture increases so does it's effect on the environment.

Important sustainable issues in aquqculture are: wastewater management, protection of coastal areas, resonsible use of anti biotics, prevent escapes and improve the labour conditions and use of responsibe soy for feed.

 In 2004 WWF initiated the aquaculture dialogues for 12 fish species. In round tables over 2000 participants from the aquaculture industry, governments, civil society organisations, environmental groups and universities to formulate sustainable standards for aquaculture.

IDH program
Now the standards are almost finalised has IDH together with WWF taken the initiative to erect the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) that will implement the standards through certifying fish farms and launch a sustainable aquaculture label in the market (like  MSC for wild caught fish). Fueled by the success of MSC retailers like Ahold en Metro want to present sustainably farmed fish to their customers  

To create supply of sustainably farmed fish IDH has started development programs to support fish farmers that produce pangasius, tilapia and shrimp in Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Bangladesh, India, China and countries in Latin America and Africa to comply to the ASC standards.

Constant Mulder, CEO of Anova about the need for sustainable aquaculture and the ASC. 

Read more about the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (6 pages, 549.6 Kb)

Ambitions:

• Succesful market tintroduction of ASC label
• Certifying 15% of the European import of  tilapia, shrimp and pangasius in 2015 
• Support of tenthousands of smallholders in Asia to comply to ASC standards
• Protection of vulnrable ecologic systems in Vietnam, Indonesia and other countries in South East Asia