Following our publication of media releases detailing the death of a protected Australian fur seal and multiple cormorants at a Tassal salmon lease, the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) has provided a statement to the Tasmanian Times.
In the interest of full transparency and public discourse, we are publishing the ASC’s response in its entirety, along with a statement from our Acting Chief Editor, which addresses key points raised by the ASC and reaffirms our commitment to holding power to account.
A Response from Tasmanian Times to the Aquaculture Stewardship Council, 29 August 2025
Tasmanian Times welcomes the ASC’s statement but would like to clarify its role in the matter. Our publication has, in a matter of public interest, simply published the media releases provided by the Tasmanian Greens, the Bob Brown Foundation, and Neighbours of Fish Farming.
These media releases were based on a NRE RTI 002 – 2025-26R, a publicly accessible record that details the tragic death of a protected Australian fur seal and the drowning of cormorants.
The claims in the media releases, which we have published, are not ours but those of the organisations who issued them and who have a long history of engagement on this issue.
The ASC’s statement notes that their Conformity Assessment Body (CAB) for Tassal “will now investigate” these incidents. We note that the RTI document details a seal death that occurred in June 2025. This raises serious questions about the effectiveness of the ASC’s oversight and reporting mechanisms, as the public only became aware of this incident through the release of the RTI documents, months after the event.
The mission of Tasmanian Times is to provide our readers with accurate and transparent reporting on issues of public concern. In this case, that means providing a platform for voices that question the efficacy of certifications when they appear to have been unaware of a serious incident for several months, and to highlight the facts as revealed by the official RTI documents. The discrepancies in the details, such as the number of darts or the exact cause of death, do not change the core reality of a seal dying in a Tassal pen.
We stand by our decision to publish these media releases and believe it is the responsibility of organisations like the ASC and its CABs to proactively ensure the public is aware of such incidents and to demonstrate that their standards are being rigorously enforced.
Statement – Aquaculture Stewardship Council, 29 August 2025
Dear Editor,
We noted your recent article citing the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) in relation to Tassal and seal mortalities. While we respect the important role of independent media in reporting on aquaculture and sustainability, we would like to politely request that ASC be contacted directly for comment and fact-checking prior to being referenced in future coverage.
As an independent, global, non-profit certification and labelling program for responsibly farmed seafood, it is important that our role and standards are represented accurately. Providing us with the opportunity to clarify or contribute context ensures your readers receive information that is both balanced and correct.
We would be more than happy to provide timely comment, background information, or clarification whenever ASC is referenced. Please don’t hesitate to reach out directly in future with any questions.
Please find our statement about this matter below.
A spokesperson for ASC said, “ASC is committed to ensuring that farmed seafood is produced in an environmentally and socially responsible way.
All forms of farming, whether on land or in water, can have unintended impacts on wildlife. The ASC Salmon Standard requires certified farms to follow rigorous management practices designed to minimise these impacts and protect wildlife, with particular attention to Vulnerable, Endangered and Critically Endangered species, as defined by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Certified farms must have no more than nine lethal incidents in any two-year period, whether due to deliberate action, entanglement, or accidental causes, with no more than two of these involving marine mammals.
Importantly, ASC is a third-party certification scheme and does not certify farms directly. Certification is conducted by independent Conformity Assessment Bodies (CABs), who investigate any reported mortality of mammals or Vulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered species. Farms must report all such incidents to the CAB within 14 days.
The CAB for Tassal, SCS, will now investigate these recent incidents and, depending on the findings, may issue a non-conformity against the ASC Standard and impose timebound corrective actions or suspend certification.
In line with the ASC ethos of transparency, Tassal reports all bird and seal mortalities, among other environmental and social indicators, on its public sustainability dashboard, and detailed audit reports, including information about any non-conformities are also available on the ASC website. Any stakeholder or member of the public may raise concerns about an ASC certified farm directly with the relevant CAB for their further investigation.
“ASC standards are designed to hold farms accountable and to safeguard the environment and wildlife. While no farming system is without risk, ASC ensures that strong, science-based requirements and independent oversight are in place to protect species and ecosystems, now and into the future.”
Communications Manager Australia
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