Duncan Leadbitter has been appointed to lead commercial outreach and
strategic growth in Australia and New Zealand and to support and promote
engagement in the broader region for the Aquaculture Stewardship Council
(ASC). Duncan is the first ASC representative to be based in Australia.

The ASC has expanded its focus in Australia and New Zealand in response to
demand from the retail sector, government and aquaculture producers. The
organisation has entered into a partnership agreement with Duncan through
Fish Matter, his Australia-based fisheries and natural resource consulting
company, to support ASC’s global plan and lead the regional strategy to
promote the availability of ASC certified seafood for consumers in Australia and
beyond.

“We are excited to welcome Duncan to the ASC,” said Chris Ninnes, CEO of
ASC. “We are privileged to work with some of the most dedicated experts in the
field of seafood sustainability. Duncan is among the most knowledgeable
professionals in the industry and his work in Australia and Asia with local
communities, various government agencies, NGO’s, scientists, academics and
the industry is representative of the collaborative, multi-stakeholder approach
which the ASC believes will be key to the transformation of the aquaculture
industry.“

“Aquaculture is critical to ensuring the availability of the seafood necessary to
feed the world,” said Duncan Leadbitter. “A growing proportion of seafood
supplied in Australia and New Zealand is farmed and in the wider region this
number is even higher. It is increasingly difficult for shoppers to know which fish
is the best environmental and social choice. The ASC logo makes it easy for
consumers to choose responsibly and I am pleased to join the ASC in this vital
work.”

Australia has become an important market for ASC in recent years. A Tassal
salmon farm in Macquarie Harbour became the first ASC certified farm in
Australia in 2014. Since that time, nearly a dozen Australian farms have earned
ASC certification. The rapid uptake on the farm side is a welcome development
for retail partners in the country, including Coles. One of two major supermarket
chains in Australia, Coles has made a significant commitment to ASC and
launched a high profile series of advertisements and in-store promotions to
highlight their dedication to the programme. Woolworths has recently also
begun actively promoting ASC salmon in-store.

The ASC has received recognition from governmental agencies for good
environmental and social performance. In an analysis of certification schemes,
the Government of Western Australia Department of Fisheries endorsed the
ASC as the preferred standard for aquaculture in that state.