Close-up of a yellow crate filled with fish in a food processing plant, with workers wearing protective gear in the background, highlighting seafood sorting, hygiene, and industrial efficiency
Adobe Stock
The Global Seafood Alliance (GSA) has reported that its third-party certification programs, Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) and Best Seafood Practices (BSP), grew by 5% and achieved an 88% retention rate in 2024.
That is, a total of 4,168 facilities in 45 countries achieved the certification, with the majority being farms, including fallow (3,132). The rest are distributed across 540 processing plants (including aquaculture and wild capture), 346 hatcheries, and 150 feed mills.
In 2024, the producers who obtained certification made 8,212 improvements related to food safety, social responsibility, environmental responsibility, animal welfare, and traceability.
"With more than 8,200 improvements made by certified producers to their operations, we see firsthand the real-world impact of GSA’s standards and the commitment of producers to driving positive change across the global seafood supply chain," noted CEO Mike Kocsis.
In March 2024, Hiddenfjord became the first company in the Faroe Islands to attain Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) four-star certification. Hiddenfjord is the only 100% Faroese salmon farming company and produces fresh whole salmon, fresh salmon fillets, frozen vacuum-packed fillets, and frozen salmon heads, backbones, and offcuts.
Moreover, the seafood supplier Wright Brothers UK achieved BAP certification thanks to its responsible policy of offering the highest quality products.
In September, GSA published its 2023 Annual Report, which highlights key achievements, including the expansion of the BAP and BSP certification programs, in which these figures were already anticipated.
Finally, the organization named Mike Kocsis as its CEO in April, and unveiled Prism, a new platform designed to integrate assurance and traceability solutions, developed in collaboration with Wholechain.
