Certification Of Hatcheries Lifts NZ King Salmon To Three-Star BAP
New Zealand King Salmon is now eligible to offer three-star Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) salmon following the certification of its three salmon hatcheries, the Global Aquaculture Alliance announced in early November.
Three stars denote that a product originates from a BAP-certified processing plant, farm and hatchery, and New Zealand King Salmon is Australasia’s first salmon company to earn the distinction.
The certification of its three salmon hatcheries in October came soon after the company completed the new multi-site cluster program (BAP-C), resulting in all nine of its salmon farm sites in South Island’s Marlborough Sound attaining BAP certification — six existing sites that were already BAP certified and three new sites that just came into production. Its processing plant is also BAP certified.
The BAP-C program allows an applicant to combine multiple farm sites within a defined geographical area to apply for BAP certification for all sites during a single audit. Audit efficiency is achieved by a combination of reviewing documents and poicies common to all member sites such as permits, operating licenses and diver safety, in addition to individual site visits to assess site-specific audit clauses, escapes, therapeutant use and wildlife interactions.
“NZ King Salmon is proud to elevate our existing BAP accreditation to three stars with the addition of our hatcheries. Having independent verification that we are operating to international industry standards within our hatcheries fits very well with our strategy to offer a unique breed of king salmon to discerning customers around the world,” said the company.
New Zealand King Salmon is the world’s largest farmed king salmon producer, exporting its products to Australia, Japan and North America as well as other markets in Asia, Europe and the Pacific. The company supplies salmon under three brands — Ōra King, Regal and Southern Ocean — and harvests and processes more than 6,000 metric tons of king salmon annually.
BAP is the world’s most comprehensive third-party aquaculture certification program, with standards covering environmental responsibility, social responsibility, food safety, animal health and welfare and traceability. At the end of September, there were 1,434 BAP-certified processing plants, farms, hatcheries and feed mills worldwide. BAP-certified processing plants yield a total of 2.15 million metric tons of product annually.
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 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. BAP certification is based on independent audits that evaluate compliance with the BAP standards owned by the Global Aquaculture Alliance.
About New Zealand King Salmon
New Zealand King Salmon is the world’s largest aquaculture producer of king salmon, supplying salmon under three key brands: Ōra King, Regal and Southern Ocean. The company owns and operates eight sea farms in the Marlborough Sounds, harvesting and processing more than 6,000 metric tons of king salmon a year. Three new sea farms consented in 2014 are expected to enable the company to approximately double annual production over time. NZ King Salmon controls all elements of the value chain from breeding and growing to harvesting and processing, and has been selling salmon to consumers and chefs for more than 30 years. The New Zealand salmon farming industry has been recognized as a global leader in sustainable seafood following New Zealand’s “Best Choice” accreditation in 2015 in the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s globally respected consumer guide Seafood Watch. NZ King Salmon was listed on the New Zealand and Australian Stock Exchanges in October 2016.
