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Starting in 2018 as a one-off trip to a Thai shrimp farm, the Discovery Tour programme rapidly compounded, soon becoming a guide for major retail and food service companies to learn about ASC's aquaculture standards.
"The rapid increase of seafood farming can lead to pollution, environmental damage and poor working conditions. Yet farmed seafood provides livelihoods and affordable protein for billions of people. That’s why it is crucial to ensure seafood is farmed responsibly, with care for people and the planet,” said Willem de Bruijn, senior director of markets and communications at ASC, in a press release.
Now, 6 years later, ASC continued the educational series with a 5-day tour of Southern Chile's salmon farming industry - one of the most significant salmon producing regions in the world. North American representatives from Sam’s Club, Sysco, Holland America and High Liner Foods joined ASC amid a backdrop of snow-capped volcanos for an action-packed agenda covering the full farm to fork journey of ASC labelled Chilean salmon.
"The ASC’s commitment to responsible fish farming has significantly advanced salmon aquaculture in Chile,” said Morkel Van Wyk, fleet manager at Holland America Line.
“Gaining insight into Chilean fish farming provides Holland America Line with a deeper understanding of sustainable seafood practices. By witnessing the dedication to sustainability, from clean farming operations to responsible resource management, we can enhance our role as ambassadors for sustainable seafood consumption, ensuring our guests enjoy responsibly sourced seafood while supporting the health of marine ecosystems," he added.
Michael Cochran, senior merchant at Sam’s Club, emphasised the disparity between non-certified and certified seafood products. "It was clear to me visiting multiple salmon farm sites in Chile that ASC certified farms had more visibly active and healthier salmon," he said.
As the series winds down, ASC will likely touch down in Ecuador, India, Scotland and Turkey with final Discovery Tour locations and dates to be announced in the new year.
