BC’s “craft” salmon attain BAP 4-stars
The Global Aquaculture Alliance has awarded its Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) certification to Gold River Hatchery, making Skuna Bay Salmon a four BAP star operation.
In a press release from Skuna Bay Salmon, the head farmer Stewart Hawthorn said: “Our craftsman farmers have been tending our farms using BAP’s high standards since 2011 when our first sea farm sites were certified. It’s very gratifying to have our Gold River Hatchery join with our processor and our feed provider as BAP-certified partners in addition to our sea farms. This is a cornerstone of our commitment to the highest standards of responsibility in rearing good salmon.”
Skuna Bay salmon farms are located in an isolated region off the coast of Vancouver Island. It takes 3 ½ years to raise a Skuna Bay Salmon to maturity, beginning as an eyed egg in the Gold River Hatchery.
To attain certification, the hatchery was individually and personally inspected by an independent and certified auditor to ensure it met specific criteria and standards. Best Aquaculture Practices’ unique and robust standards are developed by a committee of diverse stakeholders including leading progressive environmental and related advocacy organizations. Under BAP’s stringent policies, the hatchery must be audited and reassessed every year in order to retain the certification.
“We have always said that we are committed to meeting and upholding Best Aquaculture Practices’ sustainability standards in all Skuna Bay salmon not only now, but in the future through ongoing certification,” continued Hawthorn. “We saw Global Aquaculture Alliance and Best Aquaculture Practices certification as a natural fit for Skuna Bay. We share the same values and passion for farming and sharing healthful, sustainable salmon.”
Skuna Bay is proud to be the only salmon farmer in the world to offset its entire freight carbon footprint through its partnership with Terra Pass and is the exclusive salmon purveyor at the James Beard House in New York City and the Preferred Salmon of the James Beard Awards annually celebrating America’s top chefs. Skuna Bay is distributed exclusively by Santa Monica Seafood (Southwest), Fortune Fish (Midwest), Samuel’s and Son Seafood (Mid Atlantic), Gotham Seafood (New York City), Seattle Fish (Colorado and Kansas), Euclid Fish (Great Lakes), Albion Fisheries (Western Canada), Ports Seafood (Northern California), Sierra Fish (Lake Tahoe), The Fish Guys Inc (Minnesota and Dakotas), Ocean Beauty (Oregon), Pacific Seafood Group (Pacific NW), North Star Seafood (Florida) and Foley Fish (New England).
