ASC BEST RESPONSIBLE SEAFOOD TRADER AWARD

• Recognises a company that has a sourcing commitment to ensuring that seafood traded (importer or exporter) into or out of Australia is responsibly farmed and meets ASC standards for environmental and social parameters

• The product should either be ASC labeled prior to entry to Australia or there is evidence that the product is used in conjunction with the ASC label after import into Australia or the importing country (for exports).

Note (1): the term importer may apply to any company in the supply chain that is involved in sourcing or selling ASC certified and labeled product produced outside Australia. The entity may be the actual importing company, a distributor with commitments to sourcing ASC products or a retailer/food service outlet. The product has to be farmed outside Australia – it cannot be Australian product that is exported for processing and then imported.

Note (2): the importer may import the product in bulk and it may then be repackaged. The importer needs to be in possession of a valid Chain of Custody certificate and at least one of the buyers needs to make product available to consumers bearing the ASC label.

Note (3): the term exporter may apply to any company in the supply chain that is involved in sourcing or selling seafood for export that is farmed on an ASC certified farm in Australia. The entity may be the actual exporting company or an Australia-based distributor with commitments to sourcing ASC product.

Note (4): the exporter may export the product in bulk and it may then be repackaged prior to sale. The exporter needs to be in possession of a valid Chain of Custody certificate and at least one of the buyers needs to make product available to consumers bearing the ASC label.

ASC BEST RESPONSIBLE PRODUCER AWARD

This award is for an Australia based producer that has successful certified farms, either new ones or have re-certified an existing farm.

The award criteria are as follows:

• The farm owner makes publicly available information about the farm and how its management either mitigates impact on the environment or improves environmental outcomes;
• The farm owner highlights any specific social indicators that demonstrate how the relationship between the farm and the nearby community is advanced (if such a community is in place)

ASC BEST NEW RESPONSIBLE SEAFOOD PRODUCT AWARD

This category recognizes a new seafood product launched in 2024 or early 2025.

New product must:

• have the ASC green fish tick visible and correctly applied on pack
• communicate the sustainability story behind the product
•  be part of a range of products available

ASC BEST RESPONSIBLE SEAFOOD PRODUCT

This category that recognizes a premium labelled product and the continued support of the ASC program

• have the ASC green fish tick visible and correctly applied on pack
• available for 2 years or more
• communicates the sustainability story behind the product

ASC BEST RESPONSIBLE RETAILER AWARD

This award recognises a retailer  that:

• has multiple ASC private label products for sale
• uses the ASC green label visibly and correctly on product, in-store and online (where applicable)
• encourages its staff to talk with pride and knowledge about their ASC commitments
• promotes its sustainable seafood messaging with the ASC in public channels
• has a strong public commitment to continue and increase the sourcing of ASC certified seafood
•  has a comprehensive sustainable sourcing policy in place

ASC BEST RESPONSIBLE SEAFOOD  BRAND

• has multiple ASC labeled products for sale;
• uses the ASC green label visibly and correctly on product, in-store and online (where applicable)
• encourages its staff to talk with pride and knowledge about their ASC commitments
• promotes its sustainable seafood messaging with the ASC in public channels
•  has a strong public commitment to continue and increase the sourcing of ASC certified seafood
•  has a comprehensive sustainable sourcing policy in place

ASC AWARDS CATEGORIES – By nomination

YOUNG PERSON IN AQUACULTURE AWARD 2024

Aquaculture is a growing rural activity in Australia and has the potential to provide employment and training opportunities, especially for young people. This award aims to recognize a young (<30) person who is involved at the producer level in aquaculture in Australia. The award will focus on a person:

• who is employed in an ASC certified production facility in any capacity (farmhand, hatchery work, sales, administration, amongst others);
• has undergone a training program (formal, vocational) aimed at enhancing their skills

The ASC recognizes that land-based production facilities may be located in cities but the aim of this award is to focus on rural development. Consideration will be given to an outstanding candidate from a farm located in/close to an urban area.

ASC ABOVE & BEYOND AWARD

The ASC is aware that businesses that engage with certification often have wider commitments to making progress on issues such as waste, packaging, energy sourcing and the like. This award is aimed at those companies, anywhere in the supply chain which, whilst being certified to an ASC Standard (farm or traceability) also implement a range of other initiatives that improve environmental and social performance.

The criteria look for new policies and procedures or innovative approaches to one or more of the following areas:

• Recycling – measures to recycle materials in the production process or encourage recycling of customer level packaging
• Plastics – measures to reduce the use of plastics made from fossil fuels
• Energy – measures to reduce energy use or source energy from renewable sources.
• Going beyond ASC requirements – innovative methods in place for exceeding the requirements set out in the relevant ASC Standard

ASC AQUACULTURE CHAMPION 2024 AWARD

This award recognises an individual or small business that:

• uses the ASC green label visibly and correctly;
• encourages staff to talk with pride and knowledge about sustainability;
• promotes its sustainability commitments;
• has ASC certified and labelled fish available to buy;
• has demonstrated support to their local community as a result of their commitment to ASC certification.

Judging details

The MSC and the ASC will assess the applications to fact check any claims. A judging panel of industry peers will then score the applications. The judges are looking for authenticity, innovation, impact, inspiration, and an ongoing commitment to sustainability.

Get in touch

We welcome any questions you may have if you are thinking of applying. Please do not hesitate to contact us. For more information  please get in touch with Duncan Leadbitter

Terms and conditions

Disqualification may occur if your entry does not meet these terms and conditions. 

By entering the Sustainable Seafood Awards Australia (the Awards), you agree to be bound by these terms and conditions. The Marine Stewardship Council and the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (the Organisers) are the joint organisers of the Awards.

1. The Awards are open to partners of the Organisers who are registered and based in Australia as well as individuals who are based in Australia who have made a significant contribution to the vision and mission of the Organisers. Each category will state if it is for an organisation or an individual. 

2. The criteria for each award category is listed with its description on the awards web-page for asc https://au.asc-aqua.org/campaigns/the-sustainable-seafood-awards-australia-2025/ and msc  https://www.msc.org/en-au/what-we-are-doing/the-sustainable-seafood-awards-australia

3. Your entry must be factually correct. Upon reviewing your application, the Organisers will fact check against its own records. Only factually correct applications will be submitted to the judging panel for judging. 

4. To enter the Awards you must complete the entry form and submit either by email to duncan.leadbitter@asc-aqua.org or by post to The Marine Stewardship Council, Building 6, 202 Nicholson Parade, Cronulla, 2230, NSW  before the closing date and time. Late entries will be accepted at the discretion of the Organisers.

5. You may apply to enter more than one category, but you must submit a separate form for each category.

6. Your entry must relate to a relevant activity that took part during the 2024-2025 calendar year. Supporting evidence should be supplied.

7. You agree that your application and supporting evidence can be shared with the relevant judges.

8. Entry submissions open on 17th October 2024 and close on Friday 24th January 2025 at 6 pm (AEST) for  MSC & ASC awards. The winners will be announced and listed on the ASC and MSC website and can start communicating their award win Thursday 6th March 2025

9. There is no entry cost for the Awards.

10. Each entry must have a single contact person for all communication with the Organisers. 

11. You agree to provide supporting evidence including but not limited to imagery, video, weblinks and data in the format requested by the Organisers.

12. You agree to the Organisers using any or all of your application and supporting evidence in any media, marketing, and promotional activities associated with the Awards without prior consent.

13. Some award categories will be judged. Awards judges cannot be entered in the category they are judging.

14. If any awards judge has a conflict of interest regarding an entry, that judge will not judge that entry and may be removed from judging the category in which that entry is entered. The Organisers will decide whether there is a conflict of interest and welcome any information you might have to support this decision. Once the decision has been made it will be final and no correspondence will be entered into.

15. Judges will judge based on a scorecard. There will be a pass/fail mark and so entries achieving over the pass mark will then be eligible to win. Each category will have at least two judges assessing the entries. Scores will then be averaged per entry. The entry with the highest average score will win. Where relevant, runner up positions will be based on the next highest scores. In the event of a tie, the Organisers will take a deciding vote. The judges’ decisions are final and no correspondence will be entered into.

16. If evidence emerges at any time that shows misconduct such as (but not limited to) influencing the judges or falsifying evidence, then the Organisers reserve the right to remove an application or award at any time.

17. The Organisers reserve the right to change the dates or cancel the Awards or to amend these terms and conditions, without prior notice.

18. You (individual or organisation) must not be under investigation by any Australian or international statutory body during the application process.

19. If there are zero applications for a category, or if the only applications entered do not meet the criteria, then there will be no award for that category. The Organisers will use their discretion and any decision is final with no correspondence entered into. The Organisers will do their best to encourage entries.

20. The Organisers accept no responsibility for failed delivery of an application. You are welcome to check that we have received it by emailing alex.webb@msc.org or duncan.leadbitter@asc-aqua.org

21. These terms and conditions are governed by and will be interpreted in accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth of Australia, and the Courts of the Commonwealth of Australia will have exclusive jurisdiction.

22. Privacy: The Organisers may collect personal information from you (such as your name, home/business address, and email) for the purpose of facilitating your participation in the Awards. It may be provided to the Organisers partnered delivery agents to assist with the public communications of the Awards. If you wish to opt out of this, please indicate the personal information you would like to withhold within your application. 

23. Data controller: The Marine Stewardship Council is the data controller and will store and process your data in line with its privacy policy on behalf of the Organisers.