Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP), an international certification program based on science-based and continuously improved global performance standards for the entire aquaculture supply chain, has expanded the number of marine species engaged in the program with the addition of the first BAP-certified sea bass farm.
Located in Guangdong Province, China, Guangzhou Luxe Seafood Enterprise Ltd. Farm and Zhuhai Jiayi Aquatic Limit Company are subsidiaries of the Grobest Group. Already BAP-certified are the Guangzhou Luxe Seafood Enterprise. Ltd. processing plant and Foshan Quanxing Aquatic Products Feed Co. Ltd. feed mill, allowing Grobest to offer three-star BAP sea bass. The two farms grow tilapia in addition to sea bass.
Rubio’s Restaurants, a US fast-casual Mexican food chain with nearly 200 restaurants in California, Arizona, Colorado, Utah and Nevada, has featured BAP-certified shrimp on its menu for some time.
“As long standing supporters of responsible aquaculture, we are thrilled to hear the news that our valued supplier partner, Grobest, has brought the very first BAP sea bass to the marketplace, and we look forward to working with them on other seafood items in the future,” said Clynn Whitworth, vice president of supply chain for Carlsbad, California-headquartered Rubio’s.
The BAP program, a unit of the Global Aquaculture Alliance, continues to expand. A record 74 new processing plants, farms, hatcheries and feed mills attained BAP certification in June, and the total number of BAP-certified facilities worldwide reached 1,376 at the end of August.
