Draft standards have now been published in the WWF-led process to minimise environmental effects of freshwater trout aquaculture.
The document, resulting from a 200-person roundtable process including scientists as well as industry representatives and environmentalists, is now open for public comment on the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) website.
The process has included players from the world’s leading trout producing nations, including Italy, Denmark, Great Britain and Spain, as well as the US.
The standards are expected to be finalised by the end of this year, and are to be managed by the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC), presently under development.
Possible environmental threats posed by aquaculture in general include water pollution and the spreading of disease to other fish.
The freshwater trout discussions are one of eight sets of roundtables in the Aquaculture Dialogues, aimed at producing measurable and performance-based standards for responsible aquaculture. The tilapia set has already been finalised, and – besides the freshwater trout standards – the standards for pangasius, abalone, shrimp and bivalves are under review or near closure.
The first comment period on the trout standards will end on 27 September, the second and final period to follow about two months later.