World: ASC's aquaculture improver program helps small-scale farmers bridge the certification gap

The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) has seen progress in its Aquaculture Improver Program (AIP), a project the council launched to help small-scale fish farmers meet the standards of certification criteria.The program, originally announced in October 2018 but officially launched at the Global Shrimp Forum in September 2023, mainly focuses on small-scale shrimp farmers in Southeast Asia and Latin America and models itself similarly to how effective fishery improvement projects (FIPs) operate.“We want to transform global aquaculture to ensure the industry is sustainable for future generations,” ASC AIP Global Lead Roy van Daatselaar told SeafoodSource at the 2024 Seafood Expo Global in Barcelona, Spain. “Certification is a key tool, but we recognize that many producers, especially small-scale farmers, find it challenging to meet high standards.”The AIP, therefore, aims to bridge the gap and offer aquaculturists the resources necessary to meet certification standards, van ...