Late last week, the Global Seafood Alliance (GSA), The Center for Responsible Seafood (TCRS), and Choice Canning Co. signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to assist small-scale aquaculture farmers in India. The MoU aims to provide more education and training opportunities on responsible aquaculture practices.
The initiative, dubbed "Responsible Agricultural Practices," responds to an overwhelming reality: aquaculture is most common on a small scale. 90% of the world's aquaculture farms are small-scale or family-owned. Thus, this scenario poses a series of difficulties that, with specialized assistance, would allow these farms to grow.
"As an industry, we need to do a better job of helping farmers improve their lifestyles, educating them and providing them some type of protection through insurance," said Jose Thomas, president of Choice Canning Co. "The objective here is the farmer. Without him or her, there is no shrimp on the shelf. It's time that we help them more."
The project, which has a two-year timeframe, will initially be implemented in India and is intended to be scaled up for implementation in other countries. During this time, it would provide more economic stability to farming communities facing the challenge of lack of infrastructure, capital, insurance, financial planning, market exposure, and access to information on responsible aquaculture practices.
Furthermore, the initiative proposes its execution in four phases. The first phase is the assessment phase, which includes identifying infrastructure needs, analyzing and prioritizing challenges, and identifying trainers and participating farmers. The second phase involves implementing an education and training program using GSA's Best Aquaculture Practices certification standards as a framework.
The third phase focuses on outreach, aiming to expand the training program through increased participation and creating market support for the initiative. Finally, the fourth stage involves graduating the participating farmers from the program.
Ultimately, this partnership hopes that the use of a certification-based approach will lead to more standardized practices. As a result, it can attract insurers and creditors to offer practical rates for the aquaculture sector.
"Farmers and fishers are the people who bring seafood to our tables, so I am thrilled to start this partnership with Choice Canning and TCRS in order to provide support and training to the farmers who want to use responsible practices," said Wally Stevens, CEO of GSA. "Ultimately, it is this type of work that brings assurances to the marketplace and consumers who want to enjoy seafood."
The Global Seafood Alliance is an influential international nonprofit organization that promotes responsible seafood practices worldwide. Through its commitment to education, advocacy, and certifications, the GSA has become a leading provider of assurances for both wild-caught and farmed seafood. Originally established as the GAA in 1997, this organization continues to play a pivotal role worldwide.
The TRCS, formerly known as the Responsible Aquaculture Foundation, envisions a world where regenerative and responsible production meets seafood needs. It is a nonprofit organization. TCRS achieves this through transformative projects, knowledge sharing, research, training, and collaborations with various stakeholders. They have already helped traditional shrimp farmers in Southeast Asia achieve larger sizes, low carbon footprints, premium quality, and social benefits. In 2021, TCRS launched an online global community and e-learning program to cater to the evolving seafood sector.
