GAA has signed a MOU with the Fishin’ Company, which is to encourage its tilapia processing plants, farms, hatcheries and feed mills to enrol in the iBAP program to work towards BAP certification.
GAA’s aim is to grow the availability of four-star Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) tilapia.
The Fishin’ Company is to provide the education and support necessary to enroll six processing plants, 60 farms, four hatcheries and five feed mills in Hainan and mainland China in the iBAP program. The supplier also pledged to provide commercial support, through purchase commitments, for facilities that earn and retain BAP certification. Working with local organizations like China Blue and Hainan Tilapia Sustainability Alliance, The Fishin’ Company will raise awareness of the benefits of the BAP third-party certification program to the local farming community.
“We are thrilled to partner with GAA to increase local industry awareness of the BAP certification standards,” said Manish Kumar, CEO of The Fishin’ Company. “We believe our company-sponsored Farmer Training Camps, free educational seminars and classes on how to follow our Code of Good Practices will continue to drive positive change in the Chinese tilapia industry and lead to a steady supply of affordable, sustainable high-quality four-star BAP tilapia that our customers will love.
“We do not just want to see a few pockets of four-star BAP tilapia,” he added. “Our goal is to help achieve region-wide, zonal certifications that will benefit the overall health of the Chinese aquaculture industry, the environment that supports it, and our partners that are putting the right plans in place to become certified.”
The iBAP program is designed for aquaculture facilities that are not quite ready to apply for BAP certification. Facilities that enroll in iBAP agree to a step-by-step, deadline-driven plan. Facilities can apply directly or through organizations acting on their behalf, such as a processor, supplier or buyer. Currently, there are 44 facilities enrolled in iBAP in Brazil, Chile, China, Ecuador, Honduras, India, Mexico, Panama, Peru and Thailand, covering salmon, shrimp, tilapia and trout, as well as aquaculture feed.
