Summary
This study was commissioned to assess whether the practices promoted by the certification of raw materials lead to the reduction of negative environmental and social effects on natural resources and the communities surrounding certified areas. The hypothesis of the study states that ASC certification decreases the negative environmental effects on the quality of the water column and the seabed system in farms that are under this certification model, compared to those that are not certified. This study is based on the measurement of indicators in certified and non-certified salmon farms and the comparison between the two, as well as a temporal comparison over a three-year period with the same farm.