Aquaculture Stewardship Council

Name

Aquaculture Stewardship Council

Legal name

Stichting Aquaculture Stewardship Council Foundation

Website

https://asc-aqua.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aquaculture Certification

NAICS

Aquaculture (11251), Aquaculture (1125)

SIC

Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Seafood & Aquaculture Certification Services (MSC/ASC/BAP) (AFALAMAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Food Safety & Quality Scheme Certifications (GFSI Programs) (AFALAMAI), Aquaculture & Fish Health Services (AFAEANAE)

Keywords

• Aquaculture certification
• Sustainable seafood standards
• Responsible farming labels
• Seafood supply chain traceability
• Environmental certification programmes

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Logo Licensing: ASC generates income from logo licensing fees charged to certified farms, feed mills, processors, and other supply chain partners for use of the ASC trademark on products.
2. Certification Fees: Revenue from certification programme operations including audit fees, certification decisions, and related services for farms and supply chain companies seeking ASC certification.
3. Charitable Grants: ASC receives charitable grants promoting activities in support of responsible aquaculture. More than half of expenditure supports operations to implement activities and initiatives.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

ASC operates a comprehensive certification programme for responsible aquaculture, providing environmental and social standards, third-party audits, and supply chain traceability. Its offerings include the unified ASC Farm Standard covering all farmed seafood species, the ASC Feed Standard for feed mills, the Chain of Custody Standard for processors and retailers, and species-specific standards covering salmon, shrimp, trout, pangasius, seabass/seabream/meagre, flatfish, bivalves, and seaweed. The ASC label on seafood products signifies compliance with these standards through independent audits.

Product overview

ASC operates a comprehensive aquaculture certification ecosystem consisting of multiple interconnected products and programmes. The core offering includes the unified ASC Farm Standard (launched April 2024), which consolidates species-specific farm standards into a single framework with three principles covering legal, environmental, and social compliance. Supporting this are the ASC Feed Standard for feed mill certification, the ASC Chain of Custody Standard for supply chain traceability, and species-specific modules including Pike-perch, RAS, and joint standards like the ASC-MSC Seaweed Standard. ASC also provides digital platforms including the MyASC Portal for farm data management, Spatial Hub for GIS mapping, and the Programme Centre for certification administration. The portfolio covers 12 standards addressing 17 species groups including salmon, shrimp, trout, pangasius, seabass/seabream/meagre, flatfish, bivalves, and seaweed, with over 2,600 certified farm sites and 31,000 ASC-labelled products globally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ASC Sustainability Label: The ASC sustainability label on seafood products indicates the seafood has been farmed according to ASC environmental and social standards.
• Gossip Gills Podcast

Products and services

• ASC Farm Standard A unified farm-level certification standard consolidating all species-specific aquaculture standards into a single framework with 3 principles covering legal compliance (P1), environmental responsibility (P2), and social responsibility (P3). Includes species-specific requirements where applicable and new elements such as fish welfare and living wage requirements.
• ASC Feed Standard Certification standard for feed mills and their ingredient suppliers addressing the environmental and social impacts of aquafeed production. First standard to cover all major impacts of feed ingredient production including responsible sourcing of all ingredients (>1%) and full supply chain traceability.
• ASC Chain of Custody Standard Certification standard for processors, suppliers, and retailers ensuring traceability and integrity of ASC-certified seafood throughout the supply chain from farm to consumer.
• ASC Salmon Standard Species-specific certification standard for salmon farming addressing environmental and social impacts including sea lice management, chemical use, biodiversity protection, and social responsibility requirements.
• ASC Shrimp Standard Species-specific certification standard for shrimp farming. The standard was revised to include additional crustacean species, expanding scope to freshwater shrimp and crayfish. Addresses issues including eyestalk ablation practices.
• ASC Freshwater Trout Standard Certification standard for freshwater trout farming operations covering environmental impacts such as water quality and disease management, as well as social responsibility requirements.
• ASC Pangasius Standard Species-specific certification standard for pangasius (catfish) farming addressing the specific environmental and social impacts of pangasius production systems.
• ASC Seabass, Seabream and Meagre Standard Species-specific certification standard for Mediterranean marine finfish species covering environmental and social performance requirements.
• ASC Flatfish Standard Species-specific certification standard for flatfish farming. The first farm under this standard achieved certification in the Netherlands in 2021.
• ASC Bivalve Standard Certification standard for bivalve farming (oysters, mussels, clams). Taylor Shellfish Farms became the first ASC-certified bivalve farmer in the United States in March 2026, covering seven species including geoduck.
• ASC-MSC Seaweed Standard Joint certification standard developed with the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) for seaweed farming operations.
• ASC Pike-perch Module Species extension module for European pike-perch (Sander lucioperca) using requirements from multiple existing ASC standards. Applicable exclusively to Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS) and pond systems, structured around seven principles.
• RAS Module Module adapting ASC standards for Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS), addressing the specific impacts of closed-loop aquaculture operations including water quality, energy use, and waste management.
• MyASC Portal Online portal for certified farms to submit data reporting requirements, manage certification documents, and access certification-related services.
• Spatial Hub GIS portal providing geographic data and mapping capabilities related to ASC-certified farm locations and environmental data.
• ASC Programme Centre Central platform for programme management, data collection, and certification administration for ASC operations.

Quantifiable outcome

• ASC certified farms made over 4,000 environmental and over 3,000 social improvements in 2023
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Women in Ocean Food Innovation StudiocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 January 2026ASC is a sponsor of the Women in Ocean Food Innovation Studio, a 12-month equity-free support programme for 10 women-led ocean food ventures from Latin America and the Caribbean. The programme supports ventures advancing climate-positive solutions in aquaculture, marine biotech, seafood value chains, ocean conservation, and blue carbon. This is the fifth edition of the programme.
• Co-opcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 October 2025Co-op committed to ensuring all its standard own-brand farmed seafood becomes ASC-certified by 2027, including rollout of 19 seafood lines beginning with seabass. The transition builds on existing partnerships with MSC and RSPCA Assured.
• Global Ghost Gear Initiative (GGGI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2018ASC became the first and only aquaculture body to sign an agreement with GGGI in August 2018, pledging to develop scientific knowledge of the impact of plastic waste and aquaculture gear and to establish best practices for ASC standards. GGGI is the world's largest cross-sectoral alliance dedicated to solving abandoned, lost or otherwise abandoned fishing gear (ghost gear) problems.
• Hatch BluecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-launched the Women in Ocean Food Innovation Studio with Conservation International Ventures and Schmidt Marine Technology Partners, bringing together expertise in innovation support, marine conservation, and ocean technology.
• Conservation International VenturescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsor with ASC of the Women in Ocean Food Innovation Studio supporting women-led ocean food ventures in Latin America and Caribbean.
• Schmidt Marine Technology PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsor with ASC of the Women in Ocean Food Innovation Studio supporting women-led ocean food ventures in Latin America and Caribbean.
• Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerASC and MSC jointly organise consumer campaigns across multiple countries (five campaigns across eight countries on three continents in 2021), co-organise the annual Sustainable Seafood Awards, and have a joint ASC-MSC Seaweed Standard. The two organisations collaborate to promote sustainable seafood and drive market transformation.
• RSPCA AssuredminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-op partnership includes collaboration with RSPCA Assured alongside ASC and MSC for responsible sourcing transition.
• Aquatic Life Institute (ALI)minorOthersASC was evaluated in ALI's 2025 Aquaculture Certification Schemes Benchmark report, which evaluates global seafood certification schemes on aquatic animal welfare standards. ASC tied for second place with RSPCA at 7.75/10.
• U.S. Senate HELP CommitteeminorOthersASC responded to a Senate inquiry from the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee regarding the role of aquaculture certifications in ensuring imported seafood safety following radioactive Indonesian shrimp recalls. ASC submitted a 12-page response emphasising its independent third-party audits and full supply chain traceability.

Scale indicators24 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Rainforest Alliance: Rainforest Alliance operates a comparable non-profit, multi-stakeholder sustainability certification model. While not directly competing in seafood, it shares ASC's certification-as-impact business model and partner ecosystem, making it relevant for benchmarking governance and revenue structures.
• World Wildlife Fund (WWF): WWF co-founded ASC in 2010 and remains its strategic anchor and largest historical supporter. WWF is not a certification body itself but acts as an ecosystem partner, funder, and standards advisor with material influence on ASC's mission and credibility.
• ISEAL Alliance: ISEAL is the global membership association for credible sustainability standards systems. ASC's ISEAL Code Compliance is a defining credential, and ISEAL acts as an ecosystem participant and meta-credentialing body rather than a direct competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Fair Trade USA: Fair Trade USA operates a broader ethical certification covering seafood (e.g., farmed shrimp) among other commodities. It overlaps with ASC's social and traceability standards but addresses additional labour and price-floor dimensions, competing for sustainability-focused retail SKUs.
• GLOBALG.A.P. GLOBALG.A.P. offers a broader farm assurance programme across crops, livestock, and aquaculture (GLOBALG.A.P. Aquaculture). Its scope is wider than ASC's, but its aquaculture module competes for farm certifications and retailer sourcing requirements, particularly in Europe.

Direct peers

• Friend of the Sea: Friend of the Sea certifies both wild and farmed seafood against sustainability criteria. It directly competes with ASC for aquaculture farm certifications and retailer labelling decisions in Europe, Asia, and Latin America.
• Global Seafood Alliance (Best Aquaculture Practices / BAP): GSA operates the BAP certification programme for aquaculture, the closest direct competitor to ASC. Both target farm-level certification, retailer supply chain assurance, and similar species categories; GSA was also named in the US Senate shrimp inquiry alongside ASC.
• Marine Stewardship Council (MSC): Co-founded by WWF alongside ASC, MSC operates the parallel wild-capture fisheries certification programme. The two organisations jointly run consumer campaigns, awards, and the ASC-MSC Seaweed Standard — making MSC the most directly comparable peer and a frequent partner-competitor.

Emerging players

• RSPCA Assured: RSPCA Assured is the UK's leading farm animal welfare certification, covering aquaculture species including salmon and trout. It tied ASC at 7.75/10 in the 2025 ALI welfare benchmark and is increasingly bundled with ASC and MSC by UK retailers like Co-op for premium welfare claims.
• Certified Humane: Certified Humane ranked first at 8.75/10 in the 2025 ALI Aquaculture Certification Schemes Benchmark, ahead of ASC. It represents the welfare-led competitive threat to ASC on premium retail SKUs where animal welfare messaging drives consumer choice.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses2 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/asc-aquaculture-stewardship-council
• Xx.com/ASC_aqua

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Aquaculture Stewardship Council