Akvasafe already delivering under the new ASC standard
Our portfolio company Akvasafe AS is already conducting environmental surveys under the new ASC Farm Standard, which replaces the ASC Salmon Standard after a transition period ending May 2027. The new standard introduces tiered environmental monitoring, transect-based sampling and an extended set of parameters, giving a more precise picture of seabed conditions around farming sites.
The Aquaculture Stewardship Council has launched the ASC Farm Standard, replacing the ASC Salmon Standard for environmental monitoring around aquaculture sites. It applies from May 2025, with a transition period running until May 2027, during which sites may still be certified under the existing standard.
The new standard marks a shift in both method and basis for assessment. The Allowable Zone of Effect concept is replaced by transect-based sampling, where conditions are assessed along defined transects running from reference areas towards the site, giving a spatial picture of how impact changes with distance.
Monitoring is also tiered. An initial assessment based on chemical and electrochemical parameters is followed by further investigation only where results indicate a need, with biological analysis of benthic macrofauna at the highest tier. This scales the scope of each survey to the actual condition of the seabed. The parameter set has been extended as well, notably with measurement of total free sulphide in pore water, a more direct indicator of organic loading and anaerobic conditions than redox potential alone.
Akvasafe's marine biologists are already carrying out surveys under the new standard, while continuing to offer surveys under the ASC Salmon Standard — giving customers flexibility through the certification transition.
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