Big Fish, Small Pond: NGO-Corporate Partnerships and Corruption of the Environmental Certification Process in Tasmanian Aquaculture

Aquaculture is the single largest agribusiness in the Australian state of Tasmania, with local company, Tassal, the foremost producer of farm-raised salmon in the country. Tassal has come under considerable criticism for its environmental impact, despite the fact that since 2014, the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) and the World Wildlife Fund have certified it consistently as a sustainable business. This article argues that these endorsements are the result of a corrupt corporate arrangement that is designed purposefully to mislead consumers. It examines the considerable payments to both non-governmental organizations from Tassal and the questionable nature of the certification process administered by the ASC. Tassal salmon showcasing eco-friendly labeling from both the WWF and ASC (Baines and Aird2017)