The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) has announced the certification of Gloria Maris Côte d’Opale, the first French seabass and seabream farm to achieve certification under the ASC Seabream and Seabass Standard.
This certification represents a major milestone for French aquaculture, recognising the farm’s commitment to meeting ASC’s requirements for environmental responsibility, animal welfare, responsible feed and resource use, and social accountability.
By achieving ASC certification, Gloria Maris Côte d’Opale joins a global community of producers committed to driving positive change in seafood farming. The achievement also increases the availability of farmed seafood in France that meets ASC’s environmental and social requirements.
Maxime Engler, ASC France Market Development Manager, said, “ASC congratulates Gloria Maris Côte d’Opale on this remarkable achievement. As a pioneer, Gloria Maris Côte d’Opale is leading the way and demonstrating that a transparent and responsible French aquaculture sector can meet the highest environmental and social standards.”
Bastien Riera, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Gloria Maris Group, said, “Achieving ASC certification is an important recognition of the work carried out by our teams over many years. This certification reflects our commitment to contributing to the development of a responsible, transparent and demanding French aquaculture sector.”
A longstanding commitment to environmental preservation and social responsibility
Located along the beaches of the Hauts-de-France region, Gloria Maris Côte d’Opale has been farming seabass and seabream for more than 40 years. This certification recognises the site’s long-standing commitment to responsible aquaculture, combining product quality, environmental preservation and social responsibility.
Due to its location, the farm benefits from favourable conditions for farming seabass and seabream. The site builds on expertise developed by Gloria Maris Côte d’Opale’s teams since 1982, with a strong focus on farm management and the continuous improvement of practices.
Fish produced at the site are supplied to foodservice professionals, fishmongers and premium retail markets, with particular attention paid to product quality and traceability.
To achieve certification, Gloria Maris Côte d’Opale underwent an audit conducted by a Conformity Assessment Body (CAB), responsible for verifying compliance with the requirements of the ASC Seabass and Seabream Standards.
The ASC certification recognises Gloria Maris Côte d’Opale’s good practices, particularly in the following areas:
- Monitoring and reducing environmental impacts
- Managing aquaculture-related discharges
- Protecting surrounding ecosystems
- Responsible management of resources and animal health
- Providing good working conditions
