FRESHWATER TROUT AQUACULTURE DIALOGUE Final draft standards for environmentally and socially responsible trout farming

The Freshwater Trout Aquaculture Dialogue (FTAD) has developed a comprehensive set of global standards for freshwater trout aquaculture, focusing on environmental and social responsibility. The standards cover six core principles: legal compliance, habitat and biodiversity conservation, water resource protection, fish health management, resource efficiency (specifically feed and energy), and social responsibility. Key requirements include prohibitions on transgenic trout and lethal predator control, strict limits on phosphorus discharge, and mandates for fair wages and the absence of child or forced labor. The standards apply to all freshwater trout production systems globally and require 100 percent compliance for certification. Implementation and third-party certification will be managed by the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC).

• Certification requires 100 percent compliance with every standard in the package to be awarded.
• The standards prohibit the culture of transgenic trout based on the precautionary principle, although genetically enhanced, triploid, and sex-reversed trout are permitted.
• Lethal predator control is generally prohibited, with exceptions only for cases where an assessment proves it is necessary and poses no risk to wild populations or ecosystems, and never for threatened or endangered species.
• For land-based systems, the maximum phosphorus release is set at 5 kg per metric ton of fish produced for the first three years, decreasing to 4 kg per metric ton thereafter.
• Water abstraction from natural flowing bodies is limited to 50% of the natural flow immediately above the farm, unless local regulations or scientific studies provide a different minimum vital flow.
• The standards mandate a transition to 100% certified marine raw materials (fishmeal and fish oil) from ISEAL-accredited schemes within five years of publication.
• Feed dependency on wild forage fish is capped at a Fishmeal Forage Fish Dependency Ratio (FFDRm) of 1.5 and a Fish Oil Forage Fish Dependency Ratio (FFDRo) of 2.95 (or 9% EPA/DHA content from marine sources).
• New farms must maintain a minimum riparian buffer zone of 15 meters from the water's edge unless a third-party analysis proves no risk to habitats or erosion.
• The standards prohibit the use of therapeutic treatments and antibiotics that are banned under European Union (EU) law.

APA

WWF International (2012). FRESHWATER TROUT AQUACULTURE DIALOGUE Final draft standards for environmentally and socially responsible trout farming. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/864/91a5n158ck_FTAD_Standard_Final_Draft.pdf

Chicago

WWF International. FRESHWATER TROUT AQUACULTURE DIALOGUE Final draft standards for environmentally and socially responsible trout farming. 2012. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/864/91a5n158ck_FTAD_Standard_Final_Draft.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF International |title=FRESHWATER TROUT AQUACULTURE DIALOGUE Final draft standards for environmentally and socially responsible trout farming |date=January 2012 |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/864/91a5n158ck_FTAD_Standard_Final_Draft.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfinternational2012freshwater, author = {{WWF International}}, title = {{FRESHWATER TROUT AQUACULTURE DIALOGUE Final draft standards for environmentally and socially responsible trout farming}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2012}, month = jan, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/864/91a5n158ck_FTAD_Standard_Final_Draft.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }