BioMar-Tongwei JV First in China to Offer BAP Feed for Trout, Turbot
BioMar Tongwei (Wuxi) Biotech Co. Ltd. is China’s first feed mill producing feed for trout and turbot to earn Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) certification, the Global Aquaculture Alliance announced on Nov. 20.
BioMar Tongwei (Wuxi) Biotech Co. Ltd. is a joint venture between Danish feed giant BioMar Group A/S and Chinese feed manufacturer Tongwei Co. Ltd. BAP certification comes only about six months after the facility’s first extrusion line was inaugurated; the facility is located in Wuxi, near Shanghai. In addition to trout and turbot, the facility produces feed for sturgeon as well as locally popular species like largemouth bass and large yellow croaker, which have traditionally relied heavily on trash fish as a feed ingredient.
“We are excited to work with BioMar and Tongwei on their joint Wuxi feed mill to promote responsible aquaculture production in China. With a background in feed and fish nutrition myself, I know that the foundation of responsible aquaculture really starts with the feed. A high quality, responsibly produced feed will improve feed conversion and reduce waste on farm, which lead to more environmentally friendly farming practices,” said Steven Hart, vice president of market development for Asia, Oceania, United Kingdom and European Union. “We were really excited to work with the entire team at the BioMar Tongwei joint venture to get them into the BAP program, but that was just the starting point. Now we look forward to continuing to work with them to promote their commitments to aquaculture producers in China.”
Said Carlos Diaz, CEO of BioMar, ‘We believe we have established a good business in China through a combination of local production and imported products. We are serving traditional customers as well as customers striving to bring new value propositions to retailers and end consumers. The Wuxi factory will allow new possibilities for customers with advanced product requirements through all production life stages.”
Added Xiaoqing Qian, general manager of the joint venture, “The Global Aquaculture Alliance is doing a great job in China to work with value chain partners to promote sustainable and healthy aquaculture to consumers, which is very aligned with our commitment to the Chinese aquaculture industry. That is why we decided, even before the completion of our feed plant project to go for BAP certification. We believe in contributing to transforming the local farming practices for these two species by contributing with BioMar Global R&D knowledge combined with European know-how from the transformation of the aquaculture industry from feeding trash fish to compound feed back in the 1960s. This is in line with Chinese government initiative to improve environmental standards for aquaculture.”
About BAP
A division of Global Aquaculture Alliance, Best Aquaculture Practices is an international certification program based on achievable, science-based and continuously improved performance standards for the entire aquaculture production chain. BAP standards cover environmental responsibility, social accountability, food safety and animal welfare. The BAP program is based on independent audits that evaluate compliance with the BAP standards developed by GAA.
