Patricia Bianchi1,2, Miki Takada1
1Marine Stewardship Council, 1-3 Snow Hill, EC1A 2DH, London, United Kingdom
2Aquaculture Stewardship Council, Daalseplein 101, 3511 SX Utrecht, The Netherland
The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) and the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) are independent not for profit organizations with global influence. The ASC and MSC run a comprehensive certification and ecolabelling program for seafood. encouraging processors, suppliers, retailers, and consumers to give priority to purchasing MSC and ASC certified seafood.
Due to rapid growth of global seaweed production and its increasing economic importance, the seaweed sector is facing many of the same environmental and social challenges experienced by farms and fisheries. By promoting better managed seaweed cultivation and harvest we can meet the growing demand while minimizing environmental and social impacts.
In order to achieve these aims, the MSC and ASC have developed together the ASC-MSC Algae Standard. The science-based MSC-ASC environmental and social standard for responsible algae production offers a way to confirm sustainability, using a credible, independent third-party assessment process. It allows sustainable and responsible operations to be recognized and rewarded in the marketplace, giving an assurance to consumers that their algae (or by-products derived from them) come from a well-managed and sustainable source.
The standard covers five core principles that includes the status of the seaweed wild populations; environmental impacts, effective management system that respects local, national and international laws, socially responsibility and community impacts. The third-party assessment process allows to identify and improve environmental and social challenges within specific algae production system.