Enthusiastic activity at the Best Aquaculture Practices and Global Aquaculture Alliance booths during the International Boston Seafood Show reflected continued expansion of the BAP farmed seafood certification program.
"The interest in the BAP program we received in Boston was very positive, and the BAP team lined up several facilities to be inspected over the next several months," BAP Director William More said. "This was probably our best Boston show since we began promoting the BAP program in 2003."
More said eight new plants and nine new farms committed to BAP certification during the show, and additional leads are being pursued. The commitments came from five shrimp farms in India, as well as salmon farms in Canada and Chile, and a tilapia farm in Brazil. Representing several species, the plant applicants are located in China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Mexico and Canada.
As of March 15, the 100 facilities — 42 plants and 58 farms — pending BAP certification reflected more than double the number of applicants in February 2011.
Meijer made an announcement on its support of BAP just prior to the Boston show. Several other major retailers then used the show as a platform from which to announce their associations with Best Aquaculture Practices certification.
Supervalu, one of the United States' largest retailers, said it has adopted BAP certification for its aquaculture procurement policy. The move means that fish and shrimp bearing the BAP mark will be available at thousands of Acme, Albertsons, Cub Foods, Farm Fresh, Hornbacher's, Jewel-Osco, Lucky, Save-A-Lot, Shaw's/Star Market, Shop 'n Save and Shoppers Food & Pharmacy locations across the U.S.
BJ's Wholesale Club also announced its commitment to sustainable seafood through its alignment with BAP. From fresh fish to frozen value-added seafood, BJ's seafood partners must take steps to responsibly source seafood for its 195 clubs and 107 gas stations in the eastern United States.
The Global Aquaculture Alliance develops the Best Aquaculture Practices standards upon which BAP certifications are based. In addition to sharing information about BAP, GAA staff promoted the international organization's upcoming GOAL 2012 seafood marketing conference in Bangkok, Thailand, and distributed copies of the Global Aquaculture Advocate magazine. Conversations at the booth involved all levels of the farmed seafood industry, from aquaculture producers and suppliers to distributors and retailers.
Before the show opened, the BAP Standards Oversight Committee met to consider, among other issues, the crafting of a "core" set of standards that apply to shrimp, tilapia, catfish and Pangasius farms. Additional "add-on" standards specific to the culture of the individual species would also be considered in audits and certification.
"With all this activity, we are clearly making a difference in the aquaculture industry," GAA Executive Director Wally Stevens said. "As 2012 further unfolds, GAA will continue to spread the benefits of responsible aquaculture through BAP and our other global programs."
The Best Aquaculture Practices team will attend the April 24-26 European Seafood Exposition in Brussels, Belgium, and the May 1-4 Australasian Aquaculture 2012 event in Melbourne, Australia.
About Global Aquaculture Alliance
The Global Aquaculture Alliance, the leading standards-setting organization for aquaculture seafood, is an international, non-profit trade association whose Best Aquaculture Practices program provides comprehensive, metrics-based certification for aquaculture facilities — including farms, hatcheries, feed mills and processing plants. For more information on GAA, visit www.gaalliance.org.
Source: Global Aquaculture Alliance