At GOAL 2019, GAA, BAP Supporters Ramp Up 2020 Sustainability Commitments
Supporters of the Global Aquaculture Alliance and its Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) third-party certification program reinforced their commitment to responsible aquaculture at the organization’s GOAL 2019 conference by disclosing one or more sustainability-related initiatives for 2020.
At the beginning of GOAL 2019 in Chennai, India, GAA CEO Andrew Mallison challenged the audience of about 475 seafood professionals to make a public commitment to responsible aquaculture. The ask was in line with GOAL’s new theme: “Connect. Collaborate. Commit.”
By the end of the conference on Oct. 24, multiple GAA and BAP supporters, including members of the GAA board of directors and the retail and foodservice community, had stepped up by disclosing one or more commitments for next year. GAA will check in on the progress of each commitment throughout the year, leading up to the GOAL 2020 conference in Tokyo, Japan.
The 11 organizations that made commitments at GOAL 2010 are Sam’s Club, Sysco Corp., Sunnyvale Seafood, Pescanova, Eastern Fish Company, Highwood Harbor, Grobest, Chilean Salmon Marketing Council, Preferred Freezer Services/Lineage Logistics, Hendrix Genetics and Global Seafood Assurances. These companies join others including Walmart, US Foods and Disney in their commitment to support responsible aquaculture through the BAP program.
One company pledged to encourage more of the farms that it sources from to pursue BAP group certification, especially for species that are not currently prominently represented in the BAP program, while another company pledged to work with the BAP program on enhanced social audits in its farmed shrimp supply chain. Other commitments involve sustainability-related matters not related to the BAP program.
“GOAL is the main aquaculture industry event of the year, and companies attending represent the leaders in the sector. We are delighted that so many chose to confirm their commitment to responsible aquaculture,” said Mallison.
About GAA
The Global Aquaculture Alliance is an international, nonprofit trade association dedicated to advancing environmentally and socially responsible aquaculture. Through the development of its Best Aquaculture Practices certification standards, GAA has become the leading standards-setting organization for aquaculture seafood.
