The Global Aquaculture Alliance has awarded its Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) certification to Sanford’s production of King Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and its Green Lipped Mussels (Perna canalicula) which are reared and grown in Big Glory Bay, Stewart Island, near the southern tip of New Zealand.
“Sustainability is at the core of everything we do at Sanford,” Volker Kuntzsch, Sanford CEO says. “Earning BAP certification ties well into our company ethos.”
“For us this is about benchmarking ourselves against the rest of the world in farming and sustainability.”
“The BAP certification means consumers can trust Sanford to deliver not only the best quality seafood but also know we are measured in terms of environment, social and food safety impacts, to meet the growing demand for ethically produced aquaculture.” Kuntzsch says.
The Best Aquaculture Practice programme is an international certification system that verifies environmentally and socially responsible processes for producing farmed aquaculture, including mussels and salmon.
The audit process encompasses the entire aquaculture production chain, including farms, processing plants, hatcheries and feed mills.
BAP certification assures retail, restaurant and wholesale buyers that the Sanford farms apply responsible aquaculture practices that minimize environmental impacts and respect workers rights.
Aquaculture New Zealand CEO Gary Hooper commended Sanford for its commitment to environmental guardianship.
“BAP certification is a welcomed recognition of this commitment and further enhances the industry’s reputation as the world’s most sustainable seafood producers,” Hooper says.
“New Zealand’s marine farmers operate to the world’s highest environmental standards. Sustainability is not an added extra – it is core to our industry.”
Sanford CEO Volker Kuntzsch says the certification reinforces the company’s commitment to best practice farming and fishing methods in the seafood industry.
“We are committed to continuous improvement in our aquaculture farming practices and we will have these independently reviewed on an on-going basis.”
Greenshell mussels (Perna canalicula) are unique to New Zealand and are in increasing demand internationally.
Peter Redmond, Vice President of BAP market development says they are proud to add Sanford to the growing list of outstanding producers in the Oceania region that have adopted BAP certification.
“By completing both mussel and salmon certification at the same time, Sanford has demonstrated a drive and commitment that is truly outstanding. BAP is proud to have the majority of salmon in the Oceania region certified, and we hope the actions of Sanford will further spur other industry leaders to take up the challenge whether in mussels or salmon.”
“This is a great landmark and another great example of real change on the water”, Redmond says.
About BAP
A division of the Global Aquaculture Alliance, Best Aquaculture Practices is an international certification programme 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 healthy foods produced through environmentally and socially responsible means.