Cumbrian Launches UK's First Certified King Prawns

The first King Prawns to be sold in the UK under the Best Aquaculture Practice (BAP) certification scheme have been launched in Asda by Cumbrian Seafoods, one of the UK's largest seafood suppliers.

Huw Thomas, Head of Ethical & Sustainable Sourcing at Cumbrian Seafoods, said: "To lead the market in terms of responsible and sustainable seafood sourcing has been a foundation of our business and we are proud to be working with Asda and GAA on this initiative. They reflect our own and Asda's commitment to supplying seafood from certified sustainable and responsible sources."

Chris Brown, Asda's Head of Ethical & Sustainable Sourcing added: "Our customers expect us to do everything we can to ensure that the seafood they buy from Asda is from responsible, ethical and sustainable sources. King Prawns are one of our most popular seafood lines and our customers can have the confidence that they have come from sustainably certified sources."

This launch is yet another first for Cumbrian Seafoods & Asda, which together in March 2009 were the first in the UK to launch MSC accredited Atlantic Cod & Haddock.

The BAP programme, from the Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA), is an international certification system that verifies environmentally and socially responsible processes under which shrimp, fish and other seafood are produced.

Seafood facilities that participate in BAP certification apply standardised best management practices in every phase of their operations. Customers can have the confidence that their seafood has been responsibly produced, with care for the environment and the community in which it was produced, as well as food safety and traceability.

GAA vice president for Development and Communications, Peter Redmond, said he is delighted to add Cumbrian Seafoods and ASDA to GAA's ever-expanding list of retailers and manufacturers to adopt BAP.

He said: "We recognise the leadership of both companies in this sector. These latest additions to our 'family' of companies adopting BAP certification are significant, as it demonstrates that the consumers' desire for responsibly sourced aquaculture is truly a global concern. Cumbrian and Asda have heard, and reacted swiftly to this concern. We applaud their actions."

The company's founder, Peter Vassallo, acknowledged by Seafish for his pioneering approach to sustainable seafood, said: "At Cumbrian Seafoods, sustainability is not just about the how, where and when the fish is caught, it is also about the impact it has on the community, the eco-system and the environment."