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Blue Standard Aquaculture Certification Council, Inc. |
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2/18/2008 Volume 3 |
Please visit us at the Boston Seafood Show Booth # 489 on Feb 24th – 26th |
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In This Issue · President’s
Letter · BAP
Certification Program Shows Exponential Growth in 2007 · Setting
the Standard for Social Responsibility in Aquaculture · Buyers
and Importers Show Their Support for ACC Buyers Program · ACC
Expands BAP Certification Program to Reprocessing and Repacking Facilities · Issues
and Concerns Regarding the Use of Antibiotics and Other Chemotherapeutics in
Aquaculture Links Processing Plant Farm Hatchery Founding Supporters
H
& N Foods International/
Empress International, Ltd.
H.
E. Butt Grocery Co.
Red
Chamber Co.
Rubicon Resources is
headquarters for the vertically integrated Rubicon Group of food companies
dedicated to supplying premium food products for the U.S. market. It is
a leading importer and distributor in North America.
Eastern
Fish Co.
Pacific Supreme Co.
SeaPak Shrimp Co.
Darden Restaurants is
the world's largest casual dining restaurant company. It owns and operates
1,300 Red Lobster, Olive Garden, Bahama Breeze, and Smokey Bones Barbeque
& Grill restaurants worldwide.
Fishery Products International Fishery Products
International is the leading supplier of seafood to the North American foodservice,
retail and warehouse club markets. Its R&D, culinary talent and consumer
insights bring innovative seafood solutions to market.
Seajoy is a vertically
integrated and geographically diversified aquaculture group committed to
providing premium-quality, farm-raised shrimp and fish on a year-round basis.
Doing business with Seajoy is ...a joy.
Contact Us |
President’s Letter
In 2007, ACC
certified or recertified 78 aquaculture facilities, consisting of two
hatcheries, 22 farms and 54 processing or reprocessing plants, representing
approximately 285,000 metric tons of finished shrimp product. ACC has a roster of 84 active highly
qualified inspectors/auditors located in 24 countries worldwide. BAP standards were
recently published for seafood processing plants, expanding the scope beyond
shrimp processing. ACC has already received several applications for
certification. The BAP standards for tilapia and catfish farms are very close
to completion and should be published by April for catfish and June for
tilapia. In 2007, ACC began
the process for ISO 65 certification. When certified, ACC will be recognized
by the International Organization for Standards as operating a product
certification system that is competent and reliable. This will add
significantly to ACC’s status as a third party, independent certifying
organization. The reviewers have commented that ACC’s existing systems and
procedures are well above the average.
We should be able to qualify for the first stage of ISO 65
certification by the end of this year.
ACC also will have a person trained in ISO 9001 to manage quality
management systems and ACC is planning to sponsor an ISO 22000 course for the
inspectors/auditors.
Fig.1 US tilapia imports increased 9% in 2007 to
174,000 metric tons. In 2007 the number
of BAP certified facilities increased by 67% as compared to 2006. As of
December 31, 2007 there were a total of 60 certified processing plants, 42
farms, and 20 hatcheries located in 13 different countries that have been
certified by the Aquaculture Certification Council. Since the ACC begin
certifying facilities for the Best Aquaculture Practices program in 2003, over
189 facilities have registered for BAP certification, of which 65% have been
able to comply with the BAP standards to be certified or recertified. The quantity of BAP
certified farm product increased substantially in 2007 and there are now
eight Three-Star BAP certified facilities that can supply 40,000 metric tons
of BAP certified farm shrimp and another 52 One-Star certified plant
facilities that are packing over 250,000 metric tons of BAP certified
product. In October, the ACC
begin to certify seafood processing plants that are packing shrimp and
tilapia, and to date two facilities plants have been certified in China. In
the second quarter of 2008, the ACC will begin certifying tilapia and catfish
farms that have met BAP certification requirements. In January, three
farms own by the Naturisa Group in Ecuador and the Good Luck cluster farm in
Thailand were BAP certified. The ACC now had certified 24 farms in Ecuador
that collectively produced more than 14,200 metric tons of BAP farm certified
product. Two plants in
China, Savvy Seafoods (Zhanjiang) and Asia Seafoods Zhanjiang also completed
BAP certification in January. China now has seven BAP certified seafood
processing plants. Today’s seafood
consumers are confronted with a wide selection of Certified product options
at their supermarket or seafood restaurant. Most companies state that the
product they are selling is safe and of high quality, and consumers can trust
that it is a good choice for themselves and their families. Likewise,
aquaculture facilities receiving Best Aquaculture Practices certification
must meet the same industry standards for safety and quality. What differentiates
BAP certified seafood from others can be summed up by the four words found on
its seal: “Wholesome Seafood, Responsibly Produced”. This means that
consumers purchasing BAP certified product can be sure that it is safe and of
high quality, but also that the people involved in its production were treated
fairly and responsibly. Social responsibility is a key component of the BAP
standard, and the Aquaculture Certification Council takes its role very
seriously. Initial BAP
standards for social responsibility were designed to parallel those of Social
Accountability International (SAI), a non-profit partner of the Council on
Economic Priorities. SAI created the Social Accountability 8000 standard (SA
8000) to include the international human rights defined by the International
Labour Organisation, United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child,
and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The BAP standards have been
modified to incorporate the SA 8000 standards for aquaculture certification,
and the BAP standards for social responsibility continue to evolve. According to the
current BAP standard, every facility that applies for certification must
undergo an inspection where their commitment to social responsibility is
measured. They must meet the BAP standards for Community Relations, Worker
Safety and Employee Relations. Aquaculture
facilities receiving BAP certification must have a good relationship with
their neighbors and their community. They must regularly coordinate and meet
with local leaders and the community. Facility operators and workers must
respect all religious, cultural, and traditional beliefs and practices of the
local community. Also, facilities must accommodate local inhabitants by not
blocking traditional fishing areas, mangroves, and other public access. Adequate worker
safety and good employee relations must also be ensured to receive BAP
certification. In addition to complying with national Minimum Wage and Child
Labor Laws, a facility must provide healthy and safe food and water, adequate
sanitary facilities for all workers, and housing for workers if local lodging
is not available. Workers must also have access to medical care on the
facility and all facilities must have an emergency response plan in place. By
implementing these social responsibility standards, BAP holds seafood growers
and producers to the highest standard. People buying product with the BAP
mark can be confident that they are getting not only quality seafood, but
that everyone along the production chain has their rights protected and their
well-being ensured. Truly, wholesome seafood, responsibly produced.
Fig. 2 BAP
facility representatives meet with community members in Ecuador. Buyers and Importers Show Their Support for ACC Buyers Program
The ACC has recently
completed a revision and update of its Registered Buyers Program. Companies
participating in the program are showing their support for preferential
purchasing of product that is responsibly produced, processed and identified
as BAP product that is traceable to its origin. Those who enroll in
the program are listed on the ACC website (www.aquaculturecertification.org)
and have access to information regarding where to locate certified, wholesome
product that has gone through a third-party traceability program to maintain
product identity. Participants may also realize some marketing advantages. Participation in
the program allows registered companies access to information from facilities
selling BAP certified product and certain portions of the online Traceability
information which allows them to identify and segregate specific product
units rather than container quantities. As of January 23,
2008 there are 24 participants in the program. The cost to participate in
this important program is $1,000 per year. Interested parties should contact
the ACC office at aquacert@comcast.net. Some of the product
that is being packed at BAP processing plants in Third-World countries ends
up in plants that are reprocessing and/or repacking product for sale to food
service companies and retailers who want the product to be BAP certified,
marked with the BAP logo and traceable to the facility where it was produced
and/or processed. In order for the
ACC to ensure the integrity of the BAP certification and the BAP logo and to
trace the product throughout the chain of custody, facilities that are
repacking BAP product must also be BAP certified. Certified plants are
required to have their own unique plant identification number on the
packaging along with the identification number of the facility where the
product was originally packed. The use of both plant ID number allows the ACC
to trace product identity to the country of origin, the processing plant
where it was packed and in the case of BAP farm certified product, to the
production facility and date of harvest. Companies that are
repacking and reprocessing BAP product but not subscribing to BAP
certification, cannot place the BAP logo on their packaging or advertise that
the product is BAP certified. For more
information on the BAP certification program for repacking facilities, you
can contact the ACC office at aquacert@comcast.net. Issues and Concerns Regarding the Use of
Antibiotics and Other Chemotherapeutics in Aquaculture
William R. More Aquaculture
Certification Council, Inc. The problem of
residues of antibiotics and chemotherapeutics in edible tissues of
aquaculture products is attracting worldwide attention and there is a need to
enhance public awareness and understanding on the use of drugs and chemicals
in aquaculture. Many countries
engaged in aquaculture have few regulatory controls are documented records of
drugs and chemical used in the industry.
Additionally, the cost of testing for residues is expensive and
equipment and standard analytical methods to measure residuals of misused and
banned drugs are often lacking in third world countries. Of equal concern is
the effect of drugs and chemicals used on human health. Many of the drugs used in aquaculture pose
health risks to workers and the accumulation of residues in the culture
species being consumed is a food safety concern. Banned and
restricted drugs and chemicals should never be used in aquaculture and
approved and/or registered drugs should only be used as a last resort when
other disease management techniques do not work. Drugs and hormones used in feed as growth
promoters or to enhance reproduction are discouraged and most are banned or
not registered for use in aquaculture. Recommendations for
the safe use of antibiotics and chemicals in the aquaculture industry
include: ·
Following a set of protocols ensuring that the compound
is used in a manner that is consistent with limiting adverse environmental
impacts and impacting public health. ·
Selecting drugs based on not only efficiency data but
also on available information regarding environmental persistence, potential
effects on non-target organisms and the propensity to stimulate microbial
resistance. Aquaculture producers should be encouraged to purchase only
therapeutics and chemicals that are properly labeled with instructions
regarding the use. Today, aquaculture
producers have choices when it comes to using antibiotics and other
chemotherapeutics and there is a wealth of information available on which
ones should be used and how to use them.
Aquaculture drugs should be properly labeled with an expiration date
with information in the principal local languages. The information should include active
ingredients, intended use, route of treatment, potential environmental and
health hazards, how to treat the species involved, and how to store and
dispose of the chemicals. Aquaculture drugs
and chemicals should not be the first option when combating disease, but used
as a last resort after environmental conditions, nutrition and hygiene have
been optimized. Prophylactic treatments should be avoided when possible since
development of antibacterial resistance poses a threat to long term efficacy
of a drug.
Fig. 3 BAP Certification
Requires Testing for Banned Antibiotics, like Furazolidone AQUACULTURE
CERTIFICATION COUNCIL, INC. |
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