True North salmon from Atlantic Canada and Maine is now ‘three-star’ certified to the Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) standards.
Independent salmon-farming company Cooke Aquaculture Inc, which produces the salmon, attained three-star BAP certification for its processing operations, its Northwest Nutrition Inc feed mill and several salmon farm sites.
“The BAP certification is a natural continuation of our company’s long-term commitment to quality seafood and responsible production,” said Glenn Cooke, CEO, Cooke Aquaculture.
“A healthy marine environment is vital to our operations and certification through third parties ensures that we remain sustainable in our practices and helps us set goals for improvement,” he added.
Cooke first achieved third-party certification in 2008 and in 2012, its Chilean operations, Salmones Cupquelan, achieved BAP certification.
In Spain, Cooke’s sea bass and sea bream company, Culmarex, holds several third-party certifications including Friend of the Sea and Ecologica, an organic standard.
The company’s processing operations are also certified to the British Retail Consortium (BRC) Global Standard for Food Safety.
Cooke says it has plans to add more farm sites and will apply for four-star certification once the Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA) has finalised its BAP hatchery and nursery standards later this year.
