ASC Reports Nearly 7,000 Verified Improvements at Certified Farms in 2025
The Aquaculture Stewardship Council's 2025 Impact Report records close to 7,000 environmental and social improvements across its certified farm network, alongside growth in certified seafood production, a surge in feed mill certifications, and the introduction of a unified Farm Standard.
The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) recorded nearly 7,000 verified environmental and social improvements at its certified farms worldwide during 2025, according to the organisation's newly published 2025 Impact Report.
The report shows there were 2,543 ASC-certified farms across 51 countries operating last year, producing more than 2.9 million tonnes of ASC-certified seafood — an increase of 9% year-on-year. There were also 30,236 ASC-labelled products available globally.
Feed mill certification expanded sharply, with the number of ASC-certified feed mill sites rising to 91, up from 22 in 2024. From 31 October 2025, ASC-certified farms were required to use ASC-conforming feed, a policy the organisation said connects farm certification more closely with feed mills and the ingredients underpinning aquaculture production.
ASC chief executive Chris Ninnes said the scale of recorded improvements demonstrated concrete progress. "Impact needs evidence. The nearly 7,000 environmental and social improvements recorded at ASC-certified farms give us tangible proof of change happening on the ground," he said.
A defining milestone cited in the report was the launch of ASC's Farm Standard in 2025, described as bringing requirements covering farm management, environmental performance, human rights, and animal health and welfare into a single framework spanning species and production systems.
The report also highlighted ASC's Improver Programme, which provides structured pathways for producers to make verified, time-bound environmental and social improvements. By the end of 2025, 21 farm sites across five countries were active in Aquaculture Improvement Projects, and two successfully completed projects had achieved ASC certification.
On compliance, the report notes that 1,454 farm audits were completed across 51 countries in 2025, conducted by Independent Conformity Assessment Bodies. Where requirements were not met, farms were required to take corrective action; 28 certificates were suspended during the year following unaddressed non-conformities.
Ninnes noted that 2025 also marked the ASC's 15th anniversary. "As ASC marks its 15th anniversary, our programme is also reaching further across the systems behind farmed seafood – from feed ingredients to farms, supply chains and markets," he said. "That gives us greater opportunities to identify risks, drive improvement and provide credible evidence of progress."
Prepared with AI assistance by Endata and reviewed by the editorial team.
