2024 Aquaculture Certification Schemes Benchmark: Aquatic Animal Welfare
October 2024, Edition 3
Aquatic Life Institute (ALI) has launched the third edition of a welfare-based aquaculture certification benchmark tool that analyzes current welfare requirements within the primary farming standards of 8 global seafood certification schemes and 1 international ratings agency. The areas of assessment include water quality, stocking density and space requirements, environmental enrichment, feed composition, stunning and slaughter, neglected species prohibitions, and additional considerations.
Certification standard revision cycles are dynamic and varied across each certification program. Updates reflect evolving best practices and industry pressures. To address this, we accept draft versions of certification standards during the evaluation process, understanding that some current language may soon be outdated. This approach ensures the benchmark remains relevant and forward-looking, capturing the trajectory of improvements, even if the final language is not yet formalized. It also allows us to account for ongoing reforms and enables stakeholders to advocate for timely changes before they become entrenched in outdated frameworks.