BAP Welcomes First Certified Sea Bass Farm

Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP), the world’s leading third-party certification solution, has expanded the number of species engaged in the program with the addition of the first BAP-certified Japanese sea bass farm, the Global Aquaculture Alliance has announced.

Located in Guangdong Province, China, Guangzhou Luxe Seafood Enterprise Ltd. Farm and Zhuhai Jiayi Aquatic Limit Company are subsidiaries of Grobest Group. The two farms grow tilapia in addition to Japanese sea bass (Lateolabrax japonicas).

Already BAP certified are the Guangzhou Luxe Seafood Enterprise. Ltd. processing plant and Foshan Quanxing Aquatic Products Feed Co. Ltd. feed mill, allowing Grobest to offer three-star BAP sea bass.

Rubio’s Restaurants — a U.S. fast-casual coastal Mexican restaurant chain, with nearly 200 restaurants in California, Arizona, Colorado, Utah and Nevada, and long-time BAP market endorser — is also featuring BAP certified shrimp on its menu in a variety of items.

“As long standing supporters of responsible aquaculture, we are thrilled to hear the news that our valued supplier partner, Grobest, has brought the very first BAP sea bass to the marketplace, and we look forward to working with them on other seafood items in the future,” said Clynn Whitworth, vice president of supply chain for Rubio’s.

The BAP program continues to expand. A record 74 new processing plants, farms, hatcheries and feed mills attained BAP certification in June, and the total number of BAP-certified facilities worldwide reached 1,376 at the end of August.

About BAP
A division of the Global Aquaculture Alliance, Best Aquaculture Practices is an international certification program 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 healthful foods produced through environmentally and socially responsible means.