GSA Saddened By Loss Of Former GAA Board Member Ray Jones
The Global Seafood Alliance (GSA) is saddened to hear of the passing of former Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA) board member Ray Jones.
Ray served on the GAA board of directors from 2003 to 2016. He was an expert on technical issues such as quality assurance programs, nutritional labeling, residue and pathogen testing and U.S. Food and Drug Administration inspections. He was a regular participant at GSA’s annual GOAL conference and spoke at the 2005 event in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
“Ray was that rare person who could work behind the scenes to bridge the gap between the hands-on technical teams in labs and processing plants and those developing buying specifications and certification standards,” said GSA President and Founder George Chamberlain. “He was very instrumental in helping GSA work with retailers and warehouse clubs to navigate the process of adopting BAP certification.”
Ray retired from Rich Products Corp., which owns SeaPak Shrimp and Seafood Co., in 2017 as VP of seafood procurement, regulatory affairs and quality assurance; he worked there for 29 years.
“We send our condolences to Ray’s family and friends as well as his Rich Products family at this difficult time,” said GSA CEO Wally Stevens. “Ray was an integral member of the GSA board, quietly but confidently helping steer the ship at a time of significant growth for GSA and its Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) third-party certification program. Above that, Ray was a true leader and had a big impact on the global seafood community as an advocate for responsibly produced seafood. He will be missed.”
About GSA
The Global Seafood Alliance is an international, nonprofit trade association dedicated to advancing responsible seafood practices through education, advocacy and third-party assurances. Through the development of its Best Aquaculture Practices and Best Seafood Practices certification programs, GSA has become the leading provider of assurances for seafood globally. The organization’s work addresses the full spectrum of responsibility, including environmental responsibility, social accountability and food safety. Established in 1997 as the Global Aquaculture Alliance, GSA is headquartered in Portsmouth, N.H., USA.
