NZ King Salmon has joined a growing number of salmon producers to carry a “BAP” certification mark on their packaging to recognise their environmental credentials.
The company recently attained the internationally-recognised Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) certification, joining the likes of Tassal Group, which was the first BAP-certified facility in Australia, and Mt Cook Alpine Salmon, which was the first in NZ and Australia.
Around 500 facilities around the world now have the certification which covers farm compliance issues such as community property rights and relations, worker relations, the environment, fish management and welfare, wildlife interactions and supply, storage and disposal.
On the production side, it addresses management practices such as quality and staff, environment and food safety and verification and traceability.
To gain the BAP mark, NZ King Salmon was independently certified by the Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA) at a cost of tens of thousands of dollars, according to its CEO Grant Rosewarne.
However, he says the investment was well worth it given the growing emphasis on environmental standards in farming practices.
“This is obviously important in all markets but especially so offshore – the US is an example – where some customers will take product from a certified producer in preference to others,” he says.
NZ King Salmon sells its retail brands Regal and Southern Ocean in New Zealand and it also produces premium Ora King salmon exclusively for the food service trade in NZ and overseas.
Rosewarne says the company did considerable preliminary work on researching which was the best global standard.
He says the BAP certification was best suited to the New Zealand situation which differs from most other territories in terms of isolation from disease and the King salmon species it farms.
