Lotte Mart Obtains Certification for 'Sustainable Aquaculture Seafood Traceability'

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] Lotte Mart announced on the 24th that it has obtained the 'Chain of Custody (COC)' certification for abalone certified by the 'Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC)' for sustainable aquaculture seafood.

The ASC (Aquaculture Stewardship Council) is an international standard certification aimed at creating a sustainable aquaculture environment so that seafood farming can be continuously maintained and providing safe seafood to consumers. Since it requires passing evaluations not only of feed, surrounding environment, and distribution processes but also the labor conditions of fishery workers during seafood production, it takes a considerable amount of time for seafood farms to obtain this certification.

Lotte Mart, recognizing the need to build a sustainable marine ecosystem for future generations, decided to expand seafood certified by ASC, and as the first step, acquired the sustainable aquaculture seafood Chain of Custody certification (ASC-COC). This certification applies to processing and distribution stages and provides traceability of seafood information and history through certified product labels. Distribution companies wishing to sell ASC-certified seafood must obtain ASC-COC certification.

Accordingly, Lotte Mart partnered with Wando Abalone Co., Ltd., established by 1,200 abalone farms in Wando County, enabling the sale of ASC-certified abalone at all stores. The abalone farms secured stable sales channels, and Lotte Mart introduced high-quality abalone produced through sustainable aquaculture activities to consumers.

Additionally, to provide ASC-certified abalone to consumers more freshly, smart tanks maintaining constant water temperature and dissolved oxygen levels, as well as hygienic fresh packaging facilities, were installed in the Wando production area, and a traceability system for certified abalone was also established.

Lotte Mart's Seafood MD (Merchandiser) Lee Ssang-jin said, "We will actively operate ASC-certified abalone to protect fishery resources," adding, "Beyond abalone, we will increase the handling of seafood produced through environmental protection and sustainable fishing activities, leading efforts to pass on a healthy planet to future generations."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.