GAA Signs MoU with China Aquatic Products Processing and Marketing Alliance

June, 2014

The Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the China Aquatic Products Processing and Marketing Alliance (CAPPMA), in which the two organizations will work collaboratively to advance responsible aquaculture in China and globally through the exchange of information and research.

GAA and CAPPMA inked the agreement during the inaugural China International Aquatic Products Exposition and the 6th International Shrimp Industry Development Forum in Zhanjiang, China, on June 18. GAA is exhibiting at the exposition and participating in the CAPPMA-organized forum.

“This is an extremely important agreement. We recognize the role that CAPPMA plays on both the domestic front and export front, and together we believe that we can bring about real change and deliver great results through this MoU,” said Peter Redmond, VP of market development for GAA’s Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) division.

“We are proud of our continued relationship with CAPPMA and look forward to some fantastic developments in the coming year.”

GAA President George Chamberlain signed the MoU on behalf of the GAA along with Dr. Cui He, VP and secretary general of CAPPMA.

In the MoU, CAPPMA agreed to help identify and enroll processors, farms, feed mills and hatcheries in the BAP program to increase the number of BAP-certified facilities in China and to help identify marketplace endorsers in China. CAPPMA will also tap GAA’s assistance and expertise in its efforts of setting good aquaculture practice standards in China regarding food safety, environment responsibility, social responsibility and animal welfare.

In return, GAA pledged to help identify market endorsers to further promote responsibly produced Chinese farmed seafood products to retailers and foodservice operators worldwide. GAA also agreed to offer training and seminars to help Chinese producers to be able to apply the BAP standards and improve their aquaculture practices.

About GAA
The Global Aquaculture Alliance is an international, non-profit trade association dedicated to advancing environmentally and socially responsible aquaculture. Through the development of its Best Aquaculture Practices certification standards, GAA has become the leading standards-setting organization for aquaculture seafood.

About CAPPMA
The China Aquatic Products Processing and Marketing Alliance was founded in 1994 as a national non-profit organization under the Ministry of Agriculture of China. CAPPMA consists of seafood producers, processors, distributors, suppliers and institutions for fisheries research and education as well as relevant social entities that provide various services for seafood processing and marketing. CAPPMA is dedicated to improve the self-discipline mechanism among members in its business operations, to standardize and maintain seafood market orders, to protect the members’ legal rights, to coordinate relationship among internal enterprises and international parties, and to upgrade technologies and management in seafood industry ensuring sustainable fisheries development.