Certification of the Northern Harvest Sea Farms processing plant in St. George, New Brunswick, Canada, has established Northern Harvest as the Best Aquaculture Practices program's first "two-star" salmon operation.
The April 9 plant certification audit by Global Trust was preceded in March by BAP certification of Northern Harvest's Bar Island salmon farm in eastern Canada. Three additional Northern Harvest farms have applied for the certification.
"The Global Aquaculture Alliance congratulates Northern Harvest on its second certification in as many months and appreciates its continued dedication to responsible aquaculture," GAA President George Chamberlain said. "This represents a 'next step' for not only Northern Harvest, but also the BAP program, which is striving to include more salmon operations as well as facilities for other species."
"This important achievement exemplifies our commitment toward responsible aquaculture and the long-term positive impacts it will have on the coastal communities within which we operate," Northern Harvest President Larry Ingalls said. "Our company's goal is to continue working toward certification of all of our salmon-farming operations — from our new land-based hatchery to our farms, through to our processing and distribution facilities."
The Northern Harvest processing plant opened in 2007. It now offers a full range of salmon products, including fillets, steaks and portions. Over the past two years, plant capacity has been doubled, and there have been significant investments in state-of-the-art value-adding technologies, food safety initiatives and various efficiency improvements.
The company's salmon farms implement low stocking densities and eco-friendly diets to limit environmental impacts. Through proximity to major markets, Northern Harvest's company strategy is to deliver fresh, sustainably grown salmon as quickly and efficiently as possible.
BAP certification is based on the international Best Aquaculture Practices standards developed by the Global Aquaculture Alliance, the leading standards-setting organization for aquaculture seafood. For salmon and other major farmed species, BAP requires effective management of animal health, feed inputs, water quality and food safety. In a process that includes site inspections and in-depth audits, social responsibility and traceability are additional requirements.
About BAP
Best Aquaculture Practices is an international certification program based on achievable, science-based and continuously improved global performance standards for the entire aquaculture supply chain — farms, hatcheries, processing plants and feed mills – that assure healthful foods produced through environmentally and socially responsible means. For more information on BAP, visit www.gaalliance.org/bap/.
Source: Global Aquaculture Alliance