Australian salmon brand, Tassal has said that it has been selected to pilot test new international performance standards on its aquaculture farms.

Initiated and coordinated by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) standards are set to be tested on Tassal’s farms in Macquarie Harbour, on the west coast of Tasmania, as part of a final review.

The environmental and social standards for responsible aquaculture were developed with input from more than 2000 international stakeholders.

According to the ASC, the pilot tests have been implemented to ensure the future quality and consistency of the audits against the ASC standards.

Gilly Llewellyn, WWF-Australia Director of Conservation, said WWF applauded Tassal’s decision to embark on the ASC pilot project which is a step towards “full ASC certification for all of Tassal’s opperations.”

“This will see the highest international standards of responsible aquaculture tested in Australian waters by one of the leaders in the aquaculture industry,” Ms Llewellyn said.

Tassal chief sustainability officer Linda Sams said the company was very pleased to be hand-picked to assist with the final on-farm pilot audits.

Tassal has said they will be providing practical feedback to further enhance the ASC’s draft audit manuals. They have also said they will be able to use the pilot audits to develop an understanding of how their business practices relate to the relevant ASC standard.

The ASC is an independent, global not-for-profit organisation founded in 2010 by the WWF and IDH (The Sustainable Trade Initiative) to manage the global standards for responsible aquaculture.

The ASC works with aquaculture producers, seafood processors, retail and foodservice companies, scientists, conservation groups, social NGOs and the public to promote the best environmental and social choice practices in aquaculture.

Yesterday Australian Food News reported that Simplot’s John West was also working with WWF towards improving its fishing sustainability practices by 2015.

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