SALMON AQUACULTURE DIALOGUE

The Salmon Aquaculture Dialogue (SAD) standards provide a comprehensive framework to minimize the negative environmental and social impacts of salmon farming. The standards cover seven key principles: legal compliance, conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem function, protection of wild populations, efficient resource use, responsible disease and parasite management, social responsibility in farm operations, and community engagement. Specific performance thresholds are set for benthic health, water quality, sea lice levels, feed sustainability (including Forage Fish Dependency Ratios), and labor rights. The standards are designed to be implemented by the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) through third-party certification, requiring 100% compliance and high levels of data transparency.

• The standards define a strict 'Allowable Zone of Effect' (AZE) of 30 meters from cages to manage benthic impacts, requiring that sediment outside this zone maintains a redox potential > 0 millivolts or sulphide levels ≤ 1,500 microMoles / l.
• The standards mandate a phase-out of acoustic deterrent devices (ADDs) and acoustic harassment devices (AHDs) within three years of publication due to their potential to cause pain to cetaceans and displace marine mammals from critical habitats.
• The standards prohibit the use of transgenic salmon and require that any non-native species produced must have been widely commercially produced in the area by the date of publication, unless the system is completely closed or fish are sterile.
• Social responsibility standards align with ILO core principles, prohibiting child labor (under 15), forced labor, and discrimination, while requiring 100% of workers to have contracts and access to health and safety training.
• The standards require the implementation of Area-Based Management (ABM) schemes, where at least 80% of farmed production by weight in a geographic area must coordinate stocking, fallowing, and therapeutic treatments to manage cumulative disease risks.
• For smolt production, the standards require a phase-out of all open net-pen systems within five years, particularly in Chile, to mitigate nutrient loading and disease transmission in freshwater lakes.

APA

WWF International (2012). SALMON AQUACULTURE DIALOGUE. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/861/1jbvw8dva1_SAD_Standard_Final_Draft.pdf

Chicago

WWF International. SALMON AQUACULTURE DIALOGUE. 2012. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/861/1jbvw8dva1_SAD_Standard_Final_Draft.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF International |title=SALMON AQUACULTURE DIALOGUE |date=June 2012 |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/861/1jbvw8dva1_SAD_Standard_Final_Draft.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfinternational2012salmon, author = {{WWF International}}, title = {{SALMON AQUACULTURE DIALOGUE}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2012}, month = jun, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/861/1jbvw8dva1_SAD_Standard_Final_Draft.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }