Europe’s First BAP-Certified Shrimp Processing Plant

Congratulations to Sykes Seafood. The United Kingdom-based company’s Sefton Meadow Seafoods facility is Europe’s first shrimp processing plant to earn Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) certification, the Global Aquaculture Alliance announced at Seafood Expo North America in early March.

The new Sefton Meadow Seafood processing plant is located in Manchester. Mike Berthet, BAP’s UK marketing development manager, will be on hand for the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

“I am absolutely delighted and privileged to have been invited to open Sykes new processing plant,” Berthet told Undercurrent News. “There are some occasions in our industry that mark considerably important milestones, and I consider this to be one of them.

“To have had both the foresight and commitment to become the first BAP-certified shrimp processing plant in Europe is quite an achievement, and Sykes should be justly proud. I look forward to seeing it become the benchmark for other processors of BAP products throughout Europe, which enables ‘farm to customer’ security of BAP seafood.”

The company said in a statement that it is about to announce a joint venture with an Indian shrimp supplier.

Currently, there are seven BAP-certified facilities in Europe — three salmon farms in Iceland, three salmon processing plants in Norway and the Sefton Meadow Seafood processing plant.

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 developed by the Global Aquaculture Alliance.