By Dr Piers Hart

1. WWF
working towards a sustainable
future for aquaculture
WWF Aquaculture Dialogues
Dr Piers Reid Hart
14 October 2009

2. WWF is a conservation organisation
We believe in projects that are:
• Good for People and Nature
• Protect Biodiversity
• Contribute to One Planet Food

3. Why is WWF interested in Aquaculture?
Aquaculture is the fastest growing animal
farming sector

4. World livestock production
Fishstat & FAOstat
Farmed
Beef
Wild fish 14% 2006
fish 12%
14%
Pork
23%
Eggs
14%
Poultry
20%
Mutton
3%
285 million tonnes
414 million tonnes

6. World v UK Production 2006
414 million tonnes
5 million tonnes

7. But Aquaculture also has:
The most efficient food conversion in
the animal farming sector

8. If I had 1 tonne of feed I could produce roughly:
150 kg beef or
300 kg of pork or
500 kg of chicken, or
almost 1 tonne of fish

9. But aquaculture has impacts:
Mangrove loss Escape of exotics
Inappropriate use of antibiotics & chemicals
Social & labor Unsustainable feed
ingredients
Loss of biodiversity

10. Aquaculture dialogues
• WWF US initiative
• Multi-stakeholder roundtables
• Measurable social and environmental standards

11. WWF has expertise to create standards 5
• Rainforest Marketing – 1980s
• Forest Stewardship Council – 1990s
• Marine Stewardship Council – 1990s
• Marine Aquarium Council – 1990s
• Protected Harvest – 2000
• Climate Savers - 2000s
• New Program for IT Industry – 2007
• Aquaculture Dialogues – 2000s
11

12. Objectives of the Dialogues
• Develop environmental and social
performance-based standards
• Measurably reduce the critical impacts of
aquaculture
• Help strengthen the economic viability of
aquaculture

13. Criteria
• Credible
• Effective
• Added Value

14. Credible Process
Global initiative
Multi-stakeholder – 2000 participants worldwide
Open and inclusive
Transparent
Consensus-based
Based on sound science
Measurable performance-based standards
ISEAL alliance compliant

15. Example Impact (Tilapia)
Water Pollution
Principle - The guiding proposal for addressing an impact
Conserve and protect water resources
Criteria - Specific areas to focus on in order to reduce an
impact
Nutrient use and release

16. Indicators - Points of measurement to determine extent of an impact
Amount of phosphorus added and released per metric tonne of fish
produced
Standards - Quantitative performance level that will evaluate whether or
not a principle is being achieved
1. Phosphorus input or utilization will not exceed (27 kg P/mt fish
produced), Phosphorus loads released will not exceed (20 kg P/mt fish
produced).

17. Aquaculture Stewardship Council
The ASC is the Standards holding entity only.
The ASC is a new entity capable of adding
value through a consumer label.
Ultimately, this consumer label will help create
real change on the water.
The ASC will be operational by 2011 and
effective for years to come.

18. Aquaculture Stewardship Council
• The ASC will offer farm level annual certification;
• By accrediting third-party Certification Bodies (CB) that are ISO 65
compliant:
• The ASC will initially offer certification for 10-12 aquaculture
commodity species, which are:
salmon, shrimp, Pangasius, tilapia, freshwater pan
trout, cobia, Seriola, oysters, mussels, clams, scallops, and abalone.
• The ASC standards will focus on Environmental / Social / Chain of
Custody;
• To offer value to retailers, reduce cost to producers, and reduce
confusion to consumers; the ASC will “partner” with GFSI members
that offer Food Safety standards. Thus offering “one-stop-shopping”
for certification.

19. Strategy
Use market forces to transform
aquaculture and create
real change on the water

20. Continuous Improvement
No. farms
Market forces drive
performance and
Performance shift reduce impacts
Continuous
improvement
High environmental/ Social impacts Low environmental / Social impacts

21. Provisional Structure

22. Where are we now?
May take 24 months to develop the independent ASC;
Philip Smith has been hired as the Development Director
smith@dutchsustainabletrade.com
The Development Director is tasked with:
Sourcing potential partners and funding for start-up costs;
Updating business plan and projections;
Creating the administrative and institutionalization of the
ASC (governance, by-laws, etc…); and , ASC set up –
office, web-site, staff, etc.
Establishing certification process

23. www.worldwildlife.org/aquadialogues
aquacultureinfo@wwfus.org