Weaknesses in the ethical framework of aquaculture related standards

- Review of the ethical frameworks of aquaculture trade standards.
- Identified ethical terrain that is barren with regard to core ethical issues.
- Two long lasting challenges need to be solved.
- One is practically to enhance the involvement and power of weaker groups.
- The other is to secure pragmatically and politically feasible implementations of ideal theoretical ambitions.

This paper presents some results from a critical review of how well aquaculture standards fulfil their intentions to promote sustainable aquaculture. The focus was on revealing possible weaknesses in the ethical frameworks of the investigated documents, particularly with regard to less powerful stakeholders in aquaculture production and trade. The review revealed a bias across the standards in the sense that they devote most attention to an instrumental approach to environmental health, at the expense of social sustainability considerations. This indicated an asymmetry in the sense of more concern for the interests of the relatively affluent European seafood consumers than the interests of the poorer Asian aquaculture producers and their livelihood conditions. Two moves needed in the aquaculture standard industry are advised. One is to practically enhance the involvement and power of the weaker groups. The other is to secure pragmatically and politically feasible implementations of ideal theoretical ambitions.