New Zealand Greenshell Mussels“Sustainability is at the core of everything we do at Sanford,” said Volker Kuntzsch, Sanford CEO. “Earning BAP certification ties well into our company ethos."
“For us this is about benchmarking ourselves against the rest of the world in farming and sustainability,” he added.
“BAP certification means consumers can trust Sanford to deliver not only the best quality seafood but also know we are measured in terms of environment, social and food-safety impacts, to meet the growing demand for ethically produced aquaculture.”
The Best Aquaculture Practice program is an international certification system that verifies environmentally and socially responsible processes for producing farmed aquaculture, including salmon and mussels. The audit process encompasses the entire aquaculture production chain, including farms, processing plants, hatcheries and feed mills. BAP certification assures retail, restaurant and wholesale buyers that the Sanford farms apply responsible aquaculture practices that minimize environmental impacts and respect workers rights.
Aquaculture New Zealand CEO Gary Hooper commended Sanford for its commitment to environmental guardianship: “BAP certification is a welcomed recognition of this commitment and further enhances the industry’s reputation as the world’s most sustainable seafood producers. New Zealand’s marine farmers operate to the world’s highest environmental standards. Sustainability is not an added extra — it is core to our industry.
Kuntzsch said BAP certification reinforces the company’s commitment to best practices in farming and fishing methods in the seafood industry. “We are committed to continuous improvement in our aquaculture farming practices and we will have these independently reviewed on an on-going basis,” he said.
Greenshell mussels are unique to New Zealand and are in increasing demand internationally.
“We are very proud to add Sanford to the growing list of outstanding producers in the Oceania region that have adopted BAP certification,” said Peter Redmond, BAP’s VP of market development.
“By completing both mussel and salmon certification at the same time, Sanford has demonstrated a drive and commitment that is truly outstanding. BAP is proud to have the majority of salmon in the Oceania region certified, and we hope the actions of Sanford will further spur other industry leaders to take up the challenge whether in salmon or mussels. This is a great landmark and another example of real change on the water.”
