GAA Expands Presence In China With New Partnership, Office

The Global Aquaculture Alliance has strengthened its presence in China through a cooperative agreement with the China Aquatic Products Processing and Marketing Alliance (CAPPMA) to open an office in the Jing’an District of Shanghai, the organization has announced.

The partnership with CAPPMA represents the next step in GAA’s efforts to advance responsible aquaculture in China through the Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) third-party certification program, including better serving those already committed to BAP and responsible aquaculture.

“We are excited about this opportunity in China to continue to advance GAA’s commitment to responsible aquaculture production. As the leading aquaculture marketing association in China, CAPPMA is a great partner to work with. China is the largest consumer of seafood in the world, so if we’re really going to move the needle in regards to aquaculture improvements, we have to look to China for solutions,” said Steve Hart, Vice President of GAA.

GAA Executive Director, Wally Stevens, and CAPPMA Executive Vice President, Dr. Cui he, signed the cooperative agreement on January 10, 2017.

In the past year, GAA has signed memorandums of understanding (MoUs) both with government — including the Certification and Accreditation Administration of the People’s Republic of China (CNCA) and China Entry Exit Inspection and Quarantine Association (CIQA) — and with the marketplace — including Gfresh and Ocean Gala Marine Resources.

Jane Bi, GAA’s Asia business development director, is relocating to China to run the office and establish GAA’s presence in China. GAA is partnering with the CAPPMA to staff the new office.

“As an aquaculture standard-setting organization and international third-party certification program, GAA and BAP are looking to provide Chinese consumers access to sustainably and responsibly produced seafood with food-safety assurances. My job is to assist both the marketplace and industry with the resources and information that they require to advance that mission. Being from China, I cannot feel more excited and honored to be leading our efforts there,” said Bi.

In addition to providing more technical support on the ground to BAP-certified facilities in China, GAA will focus on gaining more support for the BAP program in the Chinese marketplace. Food-safety concerns continue to be top of mind with Chinese consumers, and BAP offers a solution for the Chinese marketplace, as food safety is one of the five pillars of BAP, the world’s most comprehensive third-party aquaculture certification program.

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.