December, 2014 The Global Aquaculture Alliance has published an open letter applauding the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) for requiring adherence to the country’s VietGAP standards for good aquaculture practices for Pangasius producers in 2015 and shrimp producers by 2020. In the letter, GAA announced that it has launched a benchmarking initiative
September, 2014 The Global Aquaculture Alliance is recognizing Vietnamese seafood champion Dr. Nguyen Huu Dzung with a Lifetime Achievement Award at its GOAL 2014 conference in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, next month. Dzung will accept the award on Wednesday, Oct. 8, at the Sheraton Saigon Hotel & Towers, the location of the four-day GOAL
October, 2014 Rodrigo Prado, a civil engineer and director of USONIC Ltda. in Puerto Montt, Chile, is the winner of the Global Aquaculture Alliance’s Preferred Freezer Services Global Aquaculture Innovation & Leadership Award. The winner was announced on Day 2 of GAA’s GOAL 2014 conference in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, on Oct. 9. USONIC’s
June, 2014 The Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA) is appalled by the abuse and exploitation of workers in any industry, the organization said on June 23 following the U.S. State Department’s decision to downgrade Thailand, Malaysia and two other countries to a Tier 3 designation in its 2014 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report. GAA remains fully
July, 2014 In collaboration with the Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA) and Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP), National Fish & Seafood in late July announced that is launching a project to bring small-scale shrimp farmers closer to Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) certification. With the support of GAA, National Fish & Seafood will pilot the first four groups
June, 2014 The Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the China Aquatic Products Processing and Marketing Alliance (CAPPMA), in which the two organizations will work collaboratively to advance responsible aquaculture in China and globally through the exchange of information and research. GAA and CAPPMA inked the agreement during the
June, 2014 The Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA) is fully committed to social justice as one of the key pillars of its responsible aquaculture program. Social issues are prominently addressed within GAA’s Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) third-party certification program. BAP-certified processing plants, farms, hatcheries and feed mills are required to meet standards for adequate wages, a
January, 2014 The Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Seafood Importers Association of Australasia (SIAA), in which the two organizations will work collaboratively to advance responsible aquaculture. More than 70% of edible seafood consumed by Australians is imported, much of it by the SIAA’s 25 member companies. In
July, 2013 The Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA) carried out an unannounced audit at the Narong Seafood Co. Ltd. shrimp processing plant in Samutsakorn, Thailand, in mid-June. As a result of the audit, the organization recommends that the plant maintain its Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) certification. The BAP third-party certification program has a rigorous grievances procedure in
June, 2013 The Global Aquaculture Alliance takes very seriously the accusations of labor abuse in a June 6 report by Warehouse Workers United and the International Labor Rights Forum and is determining a corrective course of action to ensure that the shrimp processing plant cited in the brief is adhering to Thai labor laws and
September, 2012 Through the development of its Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) certification standards, the Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA), the world’s leading standards-setting organization for farmed seafood, addresses the type of labor abuses cited in two recent reports in the U.S. mainstream media. The first is a Washington Post article documenting the tribulations of Burmese migrant workers
November, 2012 The Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Indonesian Aquaculture Society, in which the two organizations will work collaboratively toward responsible aquaculture. The agreement came on Nov. 2 at GAA’s GOAL 2012 conference at the Shangri-La Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand. “We’re pleased to announce the intent to
April, 2013 The Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA) on April 22 signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) and GLOBALG.A.P. whereby the standards-setting organizations will work collaboratively to increase efficiency and reduce duplication in the auditing process. GAA, ASC and GLOBALG.A.P. agreed to explore ways to reduce duplication of effort for
December, 2014 The Global Aquaculture Alliance announced in December that Marcos Moya will be joining the staff of its Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) division on a full-time basis as manager of the BAP facilities development business unit, effective Jan. 1, 2015. Previously, Moya acted as head of BAP’s expansion team in Latin America and Europe
November, 2014 Mike Berthet of M&J Seafood/Brakes Group has joined the board of directors of the Global Aquaculture Alliance, the leading standards-setting organization for aquaculture seafood. Berthet is director of fish and seafood for M&J Seafood. A qualified chef with 30-plus years of seafood experience, Berthet represents M&J on sustainability issues and ensures that the
August, 2014 The Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA) is delighted to announce that long-time supporter Iain Shone will continue with the organization, acting as its Development Director. Shone has been committed to GAA’s mission of responsible aquaculture for 15 years, supporting the development the Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) third-party certification program from the outset and guiding
April, 2014 The Global Aquaculture Alliance’s Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) division has expanded its market development team with the addition of Carson Roper as BAP’s international business development manager. Roper will work with Peter Redmond, BAP VP of market development, to build and expand relationships with seafood suppliers, distributors, retailers and foodservice operators in Europe
March, 2014 The Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA) announced at Seafood Expo North America on March 17 that it is establishing a Zone Management Technical Committee to initiate the process of drafting Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) standards for zone management. Peter Marshall, founder and former CEO of Global Trust Certification, will chair the committee. The chairman’s