Photo credit: Aquaculture Stewardship Council.
The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) recently hosted Producer Connect Workshops in Bangkok and Tokyo aimed at helping aquaculture producers, feed companies and supply chain partners prepare for the transition to ASC’s new Farm Standard and Feed Standard.
According to ASC, the events focused on practical implementation of the updated standards across Asia’s aquaculture sector, with sessions centered on environmental responsibility, animal welfare and feed production practices.
More than 150 participants attended the Bangkok workshop, while the Tokyo event drew about 40 in-person attendees and another 100 online participants. According to ASC, the strong turnout reflected growing industry engagement in responsible aquaculture production and certification efforts throughout Asia.
Workshop activities included mock audits, self-assessment tools and case-based exercises designed to help farms and feed mills understand how the standards will apply in day-to-day operations. ASC representatives also discussed challenges producers may face during the transition period and explored possible solutions with attendees.
Koji Yamamoto, ASC general manager for Japan and producer engagement lead for Southeast Asia, said the workshops demonstrated producers’ willingness to collaborate and adapt to evolving standards.
“The workshops were about supporting producers and transforming standards into practical tools, and practical tools into real impact on farms and in feed mills,” Yamamoto stated in a ASC release following the events.
The workshops also highlighted ASC’s broader efforts to expand responsible aquaculture production through its Improver Programme. During the Bangkok event, ASC recognized the completion of the AIP2ASC project, which assists farms working toward certification standards.
ASC also announced a memorandum of understanding involving Laylanta Seafood Co. Ltd. and Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park to support small-scale seafood producers in Thailand. The initiative aims to improve barramundi cage culture in Songkhla Lake through the AIP2ASC framework, with the long-term goal of achieving ASC certification.
As part of the workshops, ASC staff toured aquaculture facilities in both countries. In Thailand, the group visited Thai Union’s ASC-certified Ranot feed mill and Laylanta farm sites participating in the Improver Programme. In Japan, ASC representatives toured an ASC-certified coho salmon farm operated by Marukin and a certified feed mill operated by Nosan in Miyagi prefecture.
Additional Producer Connect Workshops are planned across Asia as the organization continues global rollout of its Farm Standard and Feed Standard.
Source: Aquaculture Stewardship Council, "Producer Connect Workshops in Asia Strengthen Readiness for ASC Farm and Feed Standard"