WWF Aquaculture Dialogue standards and ASC certification

WWF working towards a sustainable future for aquaculture WWF Aquaculture Dialogues Dr Piers Reid Hart 14 October 2009

WWF is a conservation organisation We believe in projects that are: • Good for People and Nature • Protect Biodiversity • Contribute to One Planet Food

Why is WWF interested in Aquaculture? Aquaculture is the fastest growing animal farming sector

World livestock production Fishstat & FAOstat Farmed Beef Wild fish 14% 2006 fish 12% 14% Pork 23% Eggs 14% Poultry 20% Mutton 3% 285 million tonnes 414 million tonnes

World v UK Production 2006 414 million tonnes 5 million tonnes

But Aquaculture also has: The most efficient food conversion in the animal farming sector

If I had 1 tonne of feed I could produce roughly: 150 kg beef or 300 kg of pork or 500 kg of chicken, or almost 1 tonne of fish

But aquaculture has impacts: Mangrove loss Escape of exotics Inappropriate use of antibiotics & chemicals Social & labor Unsustainable feed ingredients Loss of biodiversity

Aquaculture dialogues • WWF US initiative • Multi-stakeholder roundtables • Measurable social and environmental standards

WWF has expertise to create standards 5 • Rainforest Marketing – 1980s • Forest Stewardship Council – 1990s • Marine Stewardship Council – 1990s • Marine Aquarium Council – 1990s • Protected Harvest – 2000 • Climate Savers - 2000s • New Program for IT Industry – 2007 • Aquaculture Dialogues – 2000s 11

Objectives of the Dialogues • Develop environmental and social performance-based standards • Measurably reduce the critical impacts of aquaculture • Help strengthen the economic viability of aquaculture

Criteria • Credible • Effective • Added Value

Credible Process Global initiative Multi-stakeholder – 2000 participants worldwide Open and inclusive Transparent Consensus-based Based on sound science Measurable performance-based standards ISEAL alliance compliant

Example Impact (Tilapia) Water Pollution Principle - The guiding proposal for addressing an impact Conserve and protect water resources Criteria - Specific areas to focus on in order to reduce an impact Nutrient use and release

Indicators - Points of measurement to determine extent of an impact Amount of phosphorus added and released per metric tonne of fish produced Standards - Quantitative performance level that will evaluate whether or not a principle is being achieved 1. Phosphorus input or utilization will not exceed (27 kg P/mt fish produced), Phosphorus loads released will not exceed (20 kg P/mt fish produced).

Aquaculture Stewardship Council The ASC is the Standards holding entity only. The ASC is a new entity capable of adding value through a consumer label. Ultimately, this consumer label will help create real change on the water. The ASC will be operational by 2011 and effective for years to come.

Aquaculture Stewardship Council • The ASC will offer farm level annual certification; • By accrediting third-party Certification Bodies (CB) that are ISO 65 compliant: • The ASC will initially offer certification for 10-12 aquaculture commodity species, which are: salmon, shrimp, Pangasius, tilapia, freshwater pan trout, cobia, Seriola, oysters, mussels, clams, scallops, and abalone. • The ASC standards will focus on Environmental / Social / Chain of Custody; • To offer value to retailers, reduce cost to producers, and reduce confusion to consumers; the ASC will “partner” with GFSI members that offer Food Safety standards. Thus offering “one-stop-shopping” for certification.

Strategy Use market forces to transform aquaculture and create real change on the water

Continuous Improvement No. farms Market forces drive performance and Performance shift reduce impacts Continuous improvement High environmental/ Social impacts Low environmental / Social impacts

Provisional Structure

Where are we now? May take 24 months to develop the independent ASC; Philip Smith has been hired as the Development Director smith@dutchsustainabletrade.com The Development Director is tasked with: Sourcing potential partners and funding for start-up costs; Updating business plan and projections; Creating the administrative and institutionalization of the ASC (governance, by-laws, etc…); and , ASC set up – office, web-site, staff, etc. Establishing certification process

www.worldwildlife.org/aquadialogues aquacultureinfo@wwfus.org

WWF Aquaculture Dialogue standards and ASC certification

by Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) on Oct 28, 2009

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WWF Aquaculture Dialogue standards and ASC certification Presentation Transcript