Yellowtail

Seriola lalandi

2: Best Choice How we work out the ratings

What to check for

Location

All areas

Production method

Open net pen, marine

Certification

Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC)

Rating summary

The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) has developed production standards for environmentally and socially responsible aquaculture, including Seriola and cobia. ASC certified Seriola is good seafood choice as production standards ensure that the environmental impacts of production are minimised and the products can be easily identified by the consumer facing ASC label on pack.This rating is based on full compliance with certification requirements. Commercial buyers should therefore ensure that full compliance has been achieved in order for this rating to be applicable.Rating last updated June 2020.

How we worked out this Rating

The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) standard for feed is under development and in 2016, it published an interim solution for the ASC Marine Feed Ingredients. Under the ASC Standard, non marine ingredients do not need to be from sources certified by an ISEAL Member s certification until 2023. The aquaculture feeds used by Dutch producers of S. lalandi are produced by suppliers that have a responsible feed sourcing policy, however the implementation of this cannot be verified. The majority of terrestrial inputs used in the formulation of these diets is traceable to the country of origin, however the responsible sourcing of these cannot be assured at this time. The Feed Fish Dependency Ratio for this species currently indicates that more fish protein is required in the diet than these fish produce, making them a net consumer of fish rather than a net producer.

The requirements of the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) standard do much to mitigate against environmental impacts of production via specific, audited criteria. In the ASC standard, only fingerlings that are produced in hatcheries may be used for grow out purposes. Marine net pen culture systems inevitably discharge fish wastes directly into the aquatic environment. The ASC standard has indicators to ensure all biological and non biological waste produced by a farm is recycled, reused or disposed of properly and does not affect neighbouring communities. There is a potential problem with parasites and pathogenic disease outbreak but these do not appear to present any population level threats to wild species in the region. The impact on wild species is limited by effective management and a Fish Health Management Plan (FHMP) is in place. Chemicals are used but the environmental impact of chemical use is effectively regulated by the ASC standard. Open net pens are vulnerable to larger escape events, as well as frequent trickle losses. The ASC Standard seeks to address farmed fish escapes by demanding a rigorous farm management system to minimise risk of escapes. Lethal control of predators is only used where worker safety is at immediate risk.

The ASC Seriola & Cobia Standard addresses the environmental impacts of Seriola aquaculture, which is further supported by country level regulations. While there is no requirement for certified farms to be subject to any strategic environmental planning, the State of South Australia incorporate strategic environmental planning at a regional level.

The ASC standards cover the main environmental and social impacts of aquaculture, including fish health, feed and fair employment conditions, by setting metric based indicators. Farms are assessed annually by external auditors and results published. ASC products are traceable throughout the supply chain. ASC is the only ISEAL compliant aquaculture certification scheme.

References

ASC (2016). Interim solution on Marine Raw Material Requirements in the ASC Farm Standards. Available at:- https://www.asc-aqua.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/ASC-Feed-Interim-solution-Marine-Ingredients_FINAL_20161213.pdf- [Accessed 28.07.2020]

ASC (2019). ASC- Seriola- & Cobia Standard V1.1. Available at- https://www.asc-aqua.org/what-we-do/our-standards/farm-standards/the-seriola-and-cobia-standard/- [Accessed 28.07.2020]

CleanSeas- Animal Interaction Reporting FY20. Available at- http://www.cleanseas.com.au/public/download.jsp?id=6810- [Accessed 28.07.2020]

Diggles, Dr B. K. & Hutson, Kate. (2007). Diseases of kingfish (Seriola- lalandi) in Australasia. Aquaculture Health International. 3. 12-14. Available at:- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/285728625_Diseases_of_kingfish_Seriola_lalandi_in_Australasia- [Accessed 28.07.2020]

FAO (2009) Environmental Impact Assessment and Monitoring in Aquaculture. Available at:- http://www.fao.org/3/i0970e/i0970e.pdf[ Accessed 28.07.2020]

Fishbase:- Seriola- lalandi- Summary- http://www.fishbase.org/summary/Seriola-lalandi.html- [Accessed 28.07.2020]

Hidalgo, M. (2017). Assessing the Social, Sustainable and Economic impact of a- Seriola- farm in Japan, Seafood Matter article. Available at:- https://www.seafoodmatter.com/single-post/2017/08/06/Yellowtail-Seriola-farm-in-Japan-Assessing-the-Social-Sustainable-and-Economic-impact-of-a-Seriola-farm-in-Japan- [Accessed 28.07.2020]

Kailola, P.J., M.J. Williams, P.C. Stewart, R.E. Reichelt, A.- McNee- and C. Grieve, (1993). Australian fisheries resources. Bureau of Resource Sciences, Canberra, Australia. 422 p. Available at:- https://www.fishbase.se/references/FBRefSummary.php?ID=6390- [Accessed 28.07.2020]

Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch Report:- Seriola- spp. Marine Net Pens. 2016 Available at:- https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwiptOa0iPDqAhVGe8AKHayvAFIQFjAAegQIAxAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.seafoodwatch.org%2F-%2Fm%2F4d51ae7f43124ee29302736cf67b7154.pdf&usg=AOvVaw2jgOhiWB1yWDHPF6ZbSVDv- [Accessed 28.07.2020]

May, J.L. and J.G.H. Maxwell (1986). Trawl fish from temperate waters of Australia. CSIRO Division of Fisheries Research, Tasmania. 492 p. Available at:- http://www.reefbase.org/resource_center/publication/pub_6779.aspx- [Accessed 28.07.2020]

Palmer, J. 2016. Clean Seas Seafood Ltd (CSS) Holding, Initiating Coverage: Time to Mullet Over - “ FCF below par until FY19. Available at:- https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwiolq3Mh_DqAhWDQUEAHaS1Ck8QFjAAegQIBhAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.asx.com.au%2Fdocuments%2FCSS-Cleanseas-Initiation.pdf&usg=AOvVaw2k0oYAAXClX8e9V90H3Z52- [Accessed 28.07.2020]

Pauly, Daniel and Watson, Reg (2009) "Spatial Dynamics of Marine Fisheries"- In:- Simon A. Levin (ed.)- The Princeton Guide to Ecology. Pages 501- “509. Available at:- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/235417842_Spatial_Dynamics_of_Marine_Fisheries- [Accessed 28.07.2020]

Poortenaar- C.W. et al. (2001), Assessment of yellowtail kingfish- Seriola- lalandi- reproductive physiology, as a basis for aquaculture development,- Aquaculture- 201. 271- “286. Available at:- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S004484860100549X- [Accessed 28.07.2020]

Siccurro- &- Luzzana, (2016), The state of- Seriola- spp. other than Yellowtail (S.- quinqueradiata) farming in the world,- Reviews in Fisheries Science & Aquaculture.- Available at:- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/304069375_The_State_of_Seriola_spp_Other_Than_Yellowtail_S_quinqueradiata_Farming_in_the_World- [Accessed 28.07.2020]

Smith, A.K., (1987). Genetic variation and dispersal of the yellowtail kingfish,- Seriola- lalandi, from New South Wales waters. University of New South Wales. M.S. thesis. Available at:- https://www.fishbase.in/references/FBRefSummary.php?id=27865&lang=french- [Accessed 28.07.2020]

Stone et al, 2016. Final Report. Refining yellowtail kingfish feeds and feed management. Prepared by the South Australian Research and Development Institute (Aquatic Sciences). AS-CRC Project No. 2013/730. Available at:- https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwiC9oWAiPDqAhUIesAKHUpTClAQFjAAegQIAxAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pir.sa.gov.au%2F__data%2Fassets%2Fpdf_file%2F0004%2F287410%2FRefining_Yellowtail_Kingfish_feeds_and_feed_management.pdf&usg=AOvVaw1NZPUJYNbAq_H2aGDd8keG- [Accessed 28.07.2020]

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