ASC stands for "Aquaculture Stewardship Council" – an independent, non-profit organization founded in 2010 by WWF and the IDH Initiative. It certifies fish and seafood from aquaculture that has been independently audited against environmental, social, and animal welfare standards.
Headquartered in Utrecht, the Netherlands, the ASC works with independent certification bodies worldwide, relying on a third-party certification system. The goal: to ensure that aquaculture can fulfill its potential as a responsible and sustainable food source and to reduce – or ideally eliminate entirely – the negative impacts of the global aquaculture industry. This is because aquaculture, when poorly and irresponsibly managed, can cause significant problems such as water pollution, destruction of mangrove forests, or antibiotic misuse.
Today, over 24,000 consumer products worldwide carry the ASC label, and more than 2,020 farms are certified.

ASC certification does not follow an "once registered, forever certified" principle. Instead, independent, accredited certification bodies, also known as "conformity assessment bodies," verify whether a farm or supply chain company meets the relevant standards. A team of social and technical auditors inspects farms on-site under the supervision of an experienced assessor during a certification process that typically lasts four to six months.
To ensure that the public is sufficiently involved, interested external parties and affected communities are actively encouraged to submit comments and feedback on the farm. All comments must be addressed by the assessor and taken into account in the decision-making process.
Once certified, a farm is considered ASC-certified for three years. During this period, annual audits ensure that the standards continue to be met. If requirements are not filfilled, the certificate can be revoked. Full traceability throughout the entire supply chain is mandatory – from hatchery to final packaging on the supermarket shelf.

The ASC seal was developed through negotiations between environmental organizations, industry, and retailers – and can therefore be considered a compromise solution between various interest groups. The main points of criticism: the permitted use of genetically modified soy and the not entirely prohibited use of fishmeal and fish oil as feed.
An important point of context: according to the WWF, predatory fish like salmon cannot be entirely switched to a vegetarian diet due to biological constraints. This is not a political decision – but a scientific limitation. However, ASC-certified operations must demonstrate that their fishmeal is sourced from sustainably managed fisheries and is fully traceable.
Our honest assessment: the ASC label is not a free pass. But completely ignoring certification labels generally leads to less informed purchasing decisions.

The ASC label is the best-known and most widely used standard for farmed fish and seafood. It independently and regularly checks environmental impact, social responsibility, farm management, and animal welfare.
At the same time, it is not a premium label. The criticism of fishmeal and genetically modified soy is justified. But: a well-designed compromise standard is better than none at all.
Our advice: Use the ASC seal, as well as the MSC seal, as a first guide. But also look at the supplier: those who provide transparent information about origin and production methods, who openly address weaknesses, and who invest in innovation – they earn your trust.