ASC, Labeyrie Fine Foods, And Omarsa Join Forces To Restore Ecuador's Vital Mangrove Forests

Barcelona, Spain 7 May 2025

As part of a shared commitment to environmental stewardship and responsible aquaculture, Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC), Labeyrie Fine Foods, and Ecuadorian shrimp producer Omarsa have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on a 10-hectare mangrove restoration effort in Ecuador.

Signed at the Seafood Expo Global 2025 in Barcelona, this partnership aims to support the recovery and protection of one of the world’s most valuable and vulnerable coastal ecosystems.

Under the newly signed MoU, the partners will collaborate on long-term efforts to restore degraded mangrove areas in Ecuador, promote community-based conservation, and integrate mangrove protection into sustainable seafood supply chains. The initiative will not only contribute to climate resilience and biodiversity but also empower local communities who depend on healthy coastal environments for their livelihoods.

This community-driven project will create local employment through mangrove restoration efforts, engaging residents in seedling cultivation and planting. Backed by expert guidance and strong community support, the initiative aims to restore vital mangrove ecosystems, delivering benefits such as carbon sequestration and habitat regeneration.

A Collaborative Effort Towards Mangrove Reforestation and Community

ASC CEO Chris Ninnes said, “This partnership represents a positive step in demonstrating how seafood farming can support efforts to address climate change and habitat loss. It’s a reminder that meaningful impact starts when we choose change.

“We’re proud to work with Labeyrie Fine Foods and Omarsa on this shared commitment—to restore mangroves through community action, supporting a healthier future for people, fish, farm and planet. I very much look forward to a long-term partnership to deliver this work and we would welcome other companies to come forward and join us in delivering this meaningful pathway for change.”

This reforestation project will be carried out near one of Omarsa's shrimp farms in the Gulf of Guayaquil and combines two key elements of its Sustainability strategy: Community Relations and Environmental Care.

Omarsa General Manager Sandro Coglitore said, "Cerrito de los Morreños is a commune of 140 families with approximately 570 inhabitants. For the reforestation project, the community leaders offered us the use of land provided to them by the Ministry of Environment to monitor and protect the area's flora and fauna, including the crabs that grow and reproduce in the mangroves and which they harvest in an artisanal manner for their subsistence. The mangrove trees (Rhizophora mangle, or red mangrove) to be used come from the nursery that Omarsa helped the community develop. This interaction is aligned with SDG 1: No Poverty, SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, and SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities.

This project will allow us to contribute to the ecosystem service provided by mangroves, contributing to SDG 13 Climate Action and SDG 15 Life Below Water and Life on Land. We hope to plant 10,000 trees on 10 hectares to increase the capture of carbon emissions from the atmosphere."

Estelle Brennan, Director of Sustainability and Supplier Assurance said “Mangroves are highly productive blue carbon ecosystems, and we are conscious that they play a key role in combatting climate change, whilst protecting against floods, and coastal erosion. They provide critical nursery habitats to a broad range of organisms and are an important source of food supplies for many indigenous people and therefore pivotal in maintaining a healthy and prosperous local economy.

At Labeyrie Fine Foods, we are committed to protect mangroves and we are thrilled to join our long-term partners Omarsa and the ASC in supporting a restoration programme in Cerrito de Los Morreños in Ecuador.”

Restoring natural ‘coastal guardians’

Mangroves—often referred to as coastal guardians—play a critical role in stabilising shorelines, supporting biodiversity, and capturing vast amounts of carbon. In 2024, the first global mangrove assessment for International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Ecosystems shows over half of the world’s mangrove ecosystems are at risk of collapse.

Historically, shrimp farming has had a massively damaging impact on mangroves, which are removed to make space for ponds. The ASC Farm Standard prohibits any mangrove removal after 1999 and requires reforestation efforts for any mangroves removed before then.

ASC has been involved in the creation of the Best Practice Guidelines for Mangrove Restoration, led by Wetlands International, and has incorporated this into the Farm Standard Interpretation Manual.

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