Le Gouessant scoops Friend of the Sea Day award for aquafeeds; Omega Protein honored for sustainable fishmeal and fish oil production
On the day before the Brussels Seafood Expo, the Friend of the Sea day gathered 200 seafood companies and retailers from all five continents, mostly enthusiasts of the Friend of the Sea philosophy and approach. During the Gala Dinner,t he Friend of the Sea Awards were handed out to companies in six different categories. French Coopérative Le Gouessant was the recipient of the fish feed award, while US-based Omega Protein Corporation, Inc. received the Fishmeal and Fish Oil Award.
“The Friend of the Sea Award encourages and motivates fisheries to reduce their environmental impact and protect fisheries from becoming over-exploited,” said Paolo Bray, director of Friend of the Sea. Bray, who presented Omega Protein this award, continued, “I have been pleased to work with Omega Protein and know there is no otherorganization more deserving of this award. Omega Protein is dedicated to the sustainability of the menhaden population.”
Among the speakers were some international institutions such as the European Aquaculture Society, the International Fishmeal and Fish Oil Organization and BIM – the Irish Sea Fisheries Board. The two international Certification Bodies, Bureau Veritas and SGS, spoke about their Friend of the Sea audit experience. NGOs such as the Earth Island Institute Dolphin-Safe Program and the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership shared their on field experience, while some of the Friend of the Sea certified producers described their successful environmental conservation initiatives.
The Friend of the Sea companies presentations covered both farmed and wild-catch productions - Mussels (Spring Bay Seafoods and Frinsa del Noroeste); Shrimps (Norway Prawns); Tuna, Sardines and Mackerel (Generale Conserve); Kingfish, Mulloway and closed cycle Blulefin Tuna farming (Clean Seas); Fishmeal, Fishoil and Omega-3 supplements (Austral Group, Omega Protein, Sovapec Maromega).
The Maersk presentation generated quite a lot interest as it announced a closer collaboration with Friend of the Sea, the Dolphin-Safe Project and similar initiatives, to support sustainable fishing.
All Presentations are available for download from the Friend of the Sea website.
