French aquaculture producer Gloria Maris Côte d’Opale has become the country’s first seabass and seabream farm to receive certification from the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC), marking a significant milestone for France’s farmed seafood industry.
Located along the coast of the Hauts-de-France region, the facility earned the certification after demonstrating compliance with the ASC’s standards for seabass and seabream farming. The framework covers environmental responsibility, animal welfare, responsible feed and resource use, and social accountability.
The certification expands the availability of ASC-certified farmed seafood in France and positions Gloria Maris Côte d’Opale as a pioneer in the country’s aquaculture sector.
“ASC congratulates Gloria Maris Côte d’Opale on this remarkable achievement,” said Maxime Engler, ASC France Market Development Manager. “As a pioneer, Gloria Maris Côte d’Opale is leading the way and demonstrating that a transparent and responsible French aquaculture sector can meet the highest environmental and social standards.”
Operating since 1982, Gloria Maris Côte d’Opale has been farming seabass and seabream for more than four decades. The certification followed an independent audit conducted by a Conformity Assessment Body, which evaluated the farm’s performance across a range of environmental, operational and social criteria.
The assessment included the monitoring and reduction of environmental impacts, management of aquaculture-related discharges, protection of surrounding ecosystems, responsible resource and animal health management, and working conditions.
Bastien Riera, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Gloria Maris Group, said the certification recognised years of work by the company’s teams.
“Achieving ASC certification is an important recognition of the work carried out by our teams over many years,” Riera said. “This certification reflects our commitment to contributing to the development of a responsible, transparent and demanding French aquaculture sector.”
The milestone comes as aquaculture producers face growing pressure to demonstrate stronger environmental performance, responsible production practices and greater transparency across seafood supply chains. Certification is increasingly becoming a differentiator for producers seeking to respond to changing expectations from consumers, retailers and the wider food industry.
For Gloria Maris Côte d’Opale, the ASC designation places the company at the forefront of this transition in France. More broadly, the certification offers a new benchmark for the country’s seabass and seabream farming sector, demonstrating how established producers can align long-standing aquaculture operations with increasingly rigorous environmental and social standards.
