Last public comment period for Abalone standards kicks off

The standards will address the key negative environmental and social impacts associated with the abalone aquaculture industry, which is responsible for producing approximately 70% of the abalone eaten worldwide. Impacts include the transfer of diseases to other aquatic species, the destruction of habitat to create farms, and water pollution, reports www.megafishnet.com with reference to ASC.

Feedback received during the 60-day public comment period will be used by the Dialogue's Steering Committee to finalize the standards in the fourth quarter of 2010. Steering Committee member Laura Rogers-Bennett of the University of California - Davis said: "Through this comment period we will continue to encourage input from as many people as possible who have expertise and on-the-ground experience related to abalone aquaculture. We are confident that the additional feedback we receive will help to strengthen the standards document and ensure that the standards will support environmentally sustainable abalone farming worldwide."

The draft standards are based on the most current science related to abalone farming, as well as feedback from the 100 producers, academics, conservationists and others who attended the Dialogue and outreach meetings that were held in Thailand, South Africa and Australia.

This version of the standards document also reflects input provided during the first public comment period. Significant changes made as a result of that input include a more thorough explanation, with corresponding references, for the effluent standards and a new standard for monitoring freshwater use.

The Aquaculture Dialogue standards will be given to the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) to manage when that entity is in operation in 2011. The ASC will be responsible for working with independent, third party entities to certify farms that are in compliance with the standards.