Aquaculture Alliance begins new chapter

The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) and Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP) have jointly become interim secretariat of the Aquaculture Action Alliance, marking a new chapter for the coalition.

Previously hosted by IDH – the Sustainable Trade Initiative as the Aquaculture Working Group, the Alliance is now prioritising coordinated action, broader participation and measurable steps to cut aquaculture’s environmental footprint.

Members met before the Global Shrimp Forum in Utrecht to review progress on credibly measuring and reducing emissions.

Jill Swasey, director of impacts, monitoring & evaluation at ASC, said: “Aquaculture has tremendous potential to be part of the solution to global food and environmental challenges.

“The Aquaculture Action Alliance provides an important space for companies to align approaches, share knowledge and identify where collective action can have the greatest impact.”

Established in 2021, the Alliance has developed tools to help companies measure carbon, water, nitrogen and phosphorus footprints across aquaculture supply chains. In 2026, the focus is shifting from measurement to coordinated action, backed by three working groups on carbon footprinting, priority actions and establishing the Alliance as an independent entity.

Alliance chair Dominique Gautier, director of sustainability at Seafresh Group, said: “Underpinned by stronger governance and wider ambitions, we are expanding our focus on what actions we, as leading companies, need to take to reduce aquaculture’s carbon footprint.”

The Alliance is seeking more companies, from feed producers to retailers. Steering Committee member Elena Piana of Regal Springs said participation from firms trading salmon and tilapia is needed ‘to clearly establish the aquaculture sector as the leading low-carbon protein provider’.

Björn Kok of Skretting said: “Feed companies can play an essential role at improving the sustainability of aquaculture supply chains.”

SFP’s Braddock Spear said: “For aquaculture companies looking to compete on reducing carbon footprints, there is no better option than being part of the Aquaculture Action Alliance.”