This article was featured in Eurofish Magazine 1 2026.
The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) has become one of the most recognised organisations promoting environmental and social responsibility in aquaculture. Its distinctive turquoise label has grown into a trusted sign for consumers seeking responsibly farmed seafood.
Founded in 2010 in partnership with WWF Netherlands and the Dutch Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH), ASC sets global standards to reduce aquaculture’s environmental footprint and safeguard the welfare of workers and communities connected to the sector. Although ASC’s roots lie in northern Europe, the organisation has recently intensified its activities in Italy, recognising the country’s potential as a key aquaculture producer and consumer. This expansion, led by Desirée Pesci, ASC’s Market Development Manager for Italy, marks an important step towards embedding responsible aquaculture practices in southern Europe.
Setting the standard for sustainable aquaculture
At the heart of ASC’s work lies a comprehensive certification programme. The ASC Farm Standard, launched in May 2025, consolidates all previous species-specific standards into a single, harmonised framework. Farmers will have until May 2027 to transition fully to the new standard. It is built around four key principles: legal and ethical farm management, environmental stewardship, fish health and welfare, and human rights and community well-being. The principle—fish health and welfare—is a major innovation. It reflects growing awareness among consumers and retailers that welfare is inseparable from sustainability. We already had requirements for welfare, says Ms Pesci, but now, thanks to scientific advances and consumer concern, it has become a full principle of its own. ASC certification extends beyond the farm covering feed ingredients, feed mills, seafood farmers, processors, packers, and retailers, ensuring traceability “from feed to fork.” The ASC Feed Standard—sourcing ASC-conforming feed became mandatory for certified farms from 31 October 2025—is particularly significant. Feed accounts for roughly 80 percent of aquaculture’s carbon footprint, so certifying feed mills and their ingredient suppliers is crucial for reducing the sector’s overall impact.
Desiree Pesci, Market Development Manager Italy for ASC
The ASC operates a multi-layer verification system involving accredited auditors, oversight by Assurance Services International (ASI), and continuous monitoring through ASC’s own digital tools such as MapASC, TraceASC, and MonitorASC. Audits are performed by independent conformity assessment bodies (CABs). Farmers seeking certification contact CABs directly to obtain quotations, which vary according to species, farm size, production model, and location. Every certified farm undergoes an initial audit followed by annual surveillance visits, and 10 percent of farms receive unannounced inspections each year. Over time, ASC has moved towards a risk-based approach. Lower-risk farms face fewer requirements, reducing audit costs and administrative burdens. A new digital data management platform allows farmers to store and share documentation electronically with auditors, streamlining compliance.
Expanding awareness in Italy
When ASC began focusing on Italy in 2024, the concept of certification was not as widespread as in northern Europe. Many Italian retailers lacked public sustainability strategies, and consumer awareness of responsible aquaculture was limited. Ms Pesci notes that in countries such as the Netherlands, nearly all seafood in supermarkets carries an ASC or MSC label, while in Italy this was still emerging. However, the past few years have brought rapid change. The number of chain-of-custody (CoC) certificate holders in Italy grew by 64 percent between 2020 and 2025, while the number of ASC-labelled products sold in Italy increased by 147 percent during the same period. According to ASC’s market research, Italian consumers are showing increasing recognition of the ASC label, associating it strongly with sustainability and responsibility.
In collaboration with Carrefour, ASC launched an awareness campaign titled #Acquaculturizzati, a play on words meaning “educate yourself about aquaculture.” The campaign aims to dispel persistent misconceptions that Italian consumers hold about farmed seafood—such as excessive antibiotic use or poor environmental practices. Through in-store promoters, posters, and an interactive online hub, the campaign invites shoppers to learn the facts about responsible aquaculture. The dedicated website answers common questions (“Is all farmed fish full of antibiotics?”) with clear explanations of how ASC-certified farms address these issues. We do not deny that aquaculture can have impacts, says Ms Pesci, but we explain how ASC standards reduce and manage them responsibly. Promoters trained by ASC engaged directly with customers, while digital content encouraged Italians to rethink aquaculture’s role in sustainable food systems. The initiative will expand in 2026 with additional retail partners.
Some new standards being introduced gradually into Italy
Italy currently has five ASC-certified farms, producing sea bass, sea bream, meagre, trout, mussels, and clams. Some farmers pursue ASC certification to gain access to northern European retailers, for whom ASC-labelled products are now a purchasing requirement. Others seek to validate their environmental credentials or respond to Italian retailers increasingly incorporating sustainability goals into their sourcing policies. Ms Pesci’s role has been pivotal in bridging language and cultural gaps. Not all Italian producers are comfortable with English, she explains, so part of her work is literally translating materials and making sure they understand the requirements. While enthusiasm is growing, Italian farmers face several challenges in adapting to ASC’s evolving standards. One of the most significant changes in the new farm standard is the requirement for pre-slaughter stunning in certain species to ensure humane killing. This is standard practice in salmon farming but relatively new for Mediterranean species such as sea bream and sea bass. ASC has therefore introduced a three-year transition period for these producers.
The number of products displaying the ASC logo have increased by over 60% between 2022 and 2025.
Another new requirement involves GHG monitoring. Collecting and reporting emissions data is unfamiliar to many small farmers, so ASC developed a user-friendly calculator to simplify data entry and ensure consistency. The cost of certification remains a concern, especially for smallholders. Certification expenses vary widely, depending on site size and complexity. To address this, ASC encourages farmers to obtain multiple quotes from auditors and explore options for group certification, which allows several small farms to share auditing costs, a model is well-suited to Italy’s fragmented, family-run aquaculture sector. A complementary Improver Programme also exists for farmers not yet ready for full certification. Over a three-year period, participants work with ASC to enhance specific practices such as water quality, welfare, or labour conditions, with the goal of eventually meeting full certification requirements.
Collaboration with other NGOs
ASC operates in an increasingly complex certification landscape that includes other schemes such as GlobalG.A.P., Friend of the Sea, and organic standards, as well as retailer-driven programmes. Some Italian producers already hold other certifications and are concerned about duplication. Ms Pesci acknowledges this complexity but stresses ASC’s efforts to align requirements wherever possible. For example, ASC’s Chain of Custody Module recognises compliance with Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI)-approved standards such as BRC or IFS, avoiding redundant audits. ASC further engages with international initiatives including Seafood Watch, the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP), and the Human Rights at Sea (HRAS) foundation. Independent benchmarking studies show that ASC ranks among the top performers for both animal welfare and social responsibility criteria.
The introduction of ASC certification in Italy coincides with a broader shift in attitudes towards sustainability. Italian consumers, historically sceptical of aquaculture, are beginning to recognise its role in providing a reliable, low-carbon source of protein. ASC certification helps brands and retailers meet regulatory and reputational expectations by reducing ESG risks and providing verifiable proof of responsible practices. To strengthen its presence, ASC is expanding its outreach through events such as AquaFarm 2026 in Pordenone, where it will host a panel on the value of ASC certification across the supply chain, and a dedicated workshop for producers on the new ASC Farm Standard. These sessions will give farmers, feed producers, and retailers a platform to discuss the benefits and challenges of certification. Although ASC has no plans to open a physical office in Italy, its model of flexible, remote collaboration ensures it can respond swiftly to industry needs. As Ms Pesci puts it, ASC’s mission is global, but its approach is local. The Italian market is unique, and we are building trust step by step.
