Seafood Certification Guide

In today’s global seafood market, ensuring safety, sustainability, and ethical practices across your entire supply chain is critical to gaining competitive advantage and market access. LRQA offers seafood certification services backed by over 30 years of expertise and a proven track record in assessing more than 100 species of seafood under various prestigious industry standards.

Through independent certification, LRQA helps fisheries, aquaculture producers, processors, and retailers demonstrate best practices in sustainability, provenance, animal welfare, and corporate responsibility. Successful certification not only supports compliance but also boosts brand protection, opens access to premium markets, and enhances stakeholder confidence.

Our specialist seafood services delve below the surface to identify the critical areas impacting your business, ensuring tailored solutions that meet your unique challenges and aspirations.

 

A fresh approach to seafood certification

From sustainability to food safety, our seafood specialists can help deliver the certification you need. Successful independent seafood certification from LRQA can bring many benefits, including access to premium markets and increased brand protection. 

Download our guide to discover which standards and schemes are best for you – from ASC and MSC to GLOBALG.A.P., the Responsible Fishing Vessel Scheme (RFVS), the Seafood Processing Standard (BSP SPS) and many more. 

Download the Seafood Guide

 

Comprehensive Seafood Certification Standards and Schemes

LRQA serves as a global leader in aquaculture and fisheries assurance, guiding businesses through the complex array of certification programmes to select the most appropriate and impactful standards for their operations. Our experience spans leading certification schemes that cover:

Key Certification Programmes Supported by LRQA:

Certification Programme	Focus Area	Key Benefits	Who Benefits
Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC)	Responsible farmed seafood	Minimises environmental and social impacts; traceability from farm to plate	Fish farmers producing salmon, trout, sea bass, sea bream, mussels, shrimp
Global Seafood Alliance Best Aquaculture Practices (GSA BAP)	Rigorous farm-to-facility standard	Emphasises animal welfare, food safety, environmental responsibility	Feed producers, hatcheries, farms, processors
GLOBALG.A.P. Aquaculture Standards	Food safety, occupational health, animal welfare, environment	Covers feed production, chain of custody	Multi-site production companies, retailers
Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)	Wild-capture fisheries sustainability	Traceability to source, sustainable fishing practices	Fisheries, seafood businesses with over 100 species certified
Responsible Fishing Vessel Scheme (RFVS)	Crew safety and welfare onboard fishing vessels	Demonstrates adherence to best practices; supports access to new markets	Fishing vessel owners and operators
Seafood Processing Standard (BSP SPS)	Seafood-specific processing plant standard compliant with GFSI/GSCP	Links fisheries and vessels certification with processing plants	Seafood processors, retailers, restaurants
Marin Trust Standard	Responsible fishmeal and fish oil production	Market-leading raw material sourcing standard for marine ingredients	Fishmeal and fish oil producers
BRCGS Food Safety	Food safety management	Can be combined with Chain of Custody (CoC) audits for efficiency	Seafood manufacturers of all sizes

These standards help businesses demonstrate compliance and leadership in sustainability while addressing crucial challenges like overfishing, environmental degradation, food safety, labour welfare, and fraud prevention across the supply chain.

 

End-to-End Supply Chain Solutions

LRQA’s seafood certification services extend beyond individual certifications to provide comprehensive, end-to-end solutions that: 

• Safeguard your brand reputation by mitigating sustainability and safety risks 

• Ensure transparency and traceability through Chain of Custody certification, preventing fraud and mislabelling 

• Support regulatory compliance with the most respected global standards 

• Deliver tailored training and advisory services, helping clients implement best practices effectively 

• Facilitate continuous improvement through bespoke assurance programmes, driving long-term business resilience 

Our global network of specialists collaborates with clients from fish farms and fisheries, to processors, retailers, restaurants, and hospitality sectors — managing risks and opportunities at every point in the food chain.

 

Case Study: Partnering with Mowi to Uphold Aquaculture Excellence

One of the world’s largest seafood producers, Mowi, holds a 30% share of the global salmon and trout market. To ensure their farms comply with strict legal and quality requirements, LRQA conducts audits covering multiple international certifications, including ASC, GLOBALG.A.P., and Label Rouge. 

By customising audits and working closely with Mowi’s technical teams, LRQA supports the company’s commitment to responsible aquaculture and superior product quality across its operations in Norway, Scotland, Ireland, and Canada. 

To explore how LRQA’s comprehensive seafood certification services can support your business in delivering safe, sustainable, and market-leading products, download the Seafood Services overview guide now.

 

Why Choose LRQA for Seafood Certification?

• 30+ years of seafood sector expertise, assessing hundreds of species under many global standards

• Global presence in 160 countries with local knowledge and responsiveness

• Comprehensive capability from aquaculture and fisheries certification to processing and retail

• Integrated auditing approach that reduces disruption, e.g. bundling BRCGS and Chain of Custody audit
• Strong focus on sustainability, ethical production, and supply chain transparency to safeguard your brand

Download the Seafood Guide