First ASC certified farm marks China's breakthrough in sustainable aquaculture

Two tilapia farms located in Hainan province received certificates from Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) at the end of October.

ASC is as an independent, not-for-profit organization co-founded by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH) in 2010 to manage the certification of responsible aquaculture worldwide. The on-pack ASC logo guarantees to consumers that their fish has been farmed with minimal impacts on the environment and on society.

Qionghai Zhongpingzi Grobest Tilapia Farm, owned by Hainan Sky-blue Group Company, has 20 years of tilapia farming history. With 133 hectare of farming area, it is capable of producing 3,000 tons of tilapia every year. Chengmai Xingyuan Development Co., Ltd belongs to Hainan Xiangtai and started tilapia operation 15 years ago. It has 15 ponds, with total 100 hectare water surface, and is capable of producing 2,800 tons of tilapia annually.

Chris Ninnes, ASC's CEO, said: "This certification reflects the substantial efforts of the farm to make real improvements in their operation. The farm was subject to scrutiny by a team of independent experts, which assessed them against the strict requirements of the ASC Tilapia Standard. This is a major milestone and they should be immensely proud of their achievements."

Aquaculture is considered widely as an effective way to meet the growing global demand for seafood protein while global population continues to grow and capture of wild fisheries resources reached its ceiling. In 2014, China provided the world with 6.45 million ton of seafood; 4.76 million come from aquaculture, which is close to half of the global aquaculture production.

Tilapia aquaculture is a primary business of aquaculture enterprises in southern China. China is also the world's biggest tilapia exporter, and accounts for around 50 percent of the global market. The EU is currently the third-largest importer of Chinese tilapia, with a share of around 10 percent. As an increasing number of European consumers are accepting tilapia as a qualified substitute to over-fished wild-caught whitefish, the EU is expected to be a growing market for Chinese tilapia. However, there are two major challenges facing tilapia aquaculture in China: Lack of transparency and the existence of unsustainable practices.

"While increasing the seafood production, China is facing most severe environmental challenges. We are happy to see China is stepping up to take the responsibility on sustainable seafood work as the biggest fishery and aquaculture country," said Jin Zhonghao, Director of Market Transformation of WWF China. "WWF China will work together with seafood business to seek a harmonized solution for the benefit of social welfare and least impact on environment and society."