Animal Welfare in Aquaculture Certification Schemes

Aquaculture certification schemes including ASC, BAP, and GlobalG.A.P. include varying levels of welfare provision, with significant gaps between the most and least rigorous standards.

Key Facts

The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) includes welfare criteria in its farm standards for salmon, trout, and other species
Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) certification is widely used in shrimp and tilapia production with welfare provisions
GlobalG.A.P. aquaculture standards include animal welfare criteria that apply to multiple species
Welfare criteria in aquaculture schemes typically address stocking density, water quality, and disease management
Few schemes include requirements for pre-slaughter stunning or humane slaughter methods
Animal welfare non-governmental organisations have criticised the gaps and enforcement weaknesses in existing certification

Welfare Considerations

Aquaculture certification provides an important market mechanism for improving welfare standards, but current schemes have significant limitations. The absence of mandatory humane slaughter requirements in most schemes, combined with inconsistent enforcement of existing welfare criteria, means certification provides partial rather than comprehensive welfare assurance. Consumer pressure for stronger welfare standards within existing certification frameworks is the most effective driver of improvement.

What You Can Do

Choose aquaculture products certified by ASC as the strongest available welfare standard
Ask retailers about the specific welfare criteria covered by their aquaculture certification
Advocate for humane slaughter requirements to be added to all major aquaculture certification schemes
Support welfare organisations engaging in aquaculture certification scheme review processes
Provide feedback to certification schemes directly when you identify welfare gaps