INDUSTRY researchNEWS report
Pacific Seafood –Oregon-Based Oyster Farm– First to Score Four-Star BAP Certification United States. – Pacific Seafood, one of North America’s largest seafood companies, is the world’s first to achieve Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) four-star certification, the highest designation in the program. The BAP third-party certification program is run by the Global Aquaculture Alliance, and assesses the entire aquaculture supply chain (farms, hatcheries, processing plants and feed mills) to ensure healthful food produced through environmentally and socially responsible means. Oysters feed naturally on phytoplankton and naturally occurring organisms in the water; therefore, formulated feed is not required. However, BAP’s mollusk farm standards, published in May 2016, include several specifications for responsible stocking densities and monitoring of natural feeding processes to ensure that re-
sponsible feeding practices are being implemented. Thus, the feed-related star will be awarded to all BAP-certified mollusk farms associated to a processing plant, farm and hatchery, allowing them to achieve BAP fourstar status. Pacific Seafood’s BAP-certified oyster processing plant and farm are located in South Bend, Washington, and the BAP-certified oyster hatchery
is located in Quilcene, Washington. The company plans to certify all its oyster-related facilities. Pacific Seafood also operates a BAP-certified steelhead farm in Nespelem, Washington. The BAP program has recorded a significant expansion during the past years, with the number of BAP-certified facilities reaching 1,864 as of November 2017, 37 of which are mollusk farms.
Hatch – The World’s First Aquaculture Startup Accelerator Norway. – A joint initiative has been established between Hatch, NCE Seafood Innovation Cluster and Bergen Teknologioverføring (BTO)—the Bergen Biotechnology Transfer Office. Hatch, the world’s first startup accelerator focused on aquaculture, is offering funding and business support for talented aquaculture startups. The eight best applications will each receive a cash investment of 25,000 euros (30,621 USD), as well as monitoring, coaching and access to Hatch’s networks. The selected teams will work with seasoned entrepreneurs and experienced industry professionals, and will get direct exposure to the industry’s biggest farmers and suppliers. Hatch also provides access to a unique network of aquaculture investors, ready to invest in the best teams with the highest potential. In addition, it sup8 »
ports start-ups with grant funding within Norway and the testing of their products with its R&D partners across Europe. “We see a need for aquaculture start-ups, especially in the health, nutrition, technology and production sectors, to learn what it means to be ‘investment-ready’ in order to raise the necessary funds to scale and realize their full potential,” said Hatch CEO Carsten Krome. “Additionally, teams will complete significant technical proof-of-concept work, either in the laboratory or with our technology/farming partners. Ultimately,
the primary focus of our accelerator program will be on building capability in our participants and enabling them to scale their company to match their global ambitions. What we require in return from the founders is 100% commitment in terms of time and effort,” Krome concluded. The initiative is open to aquaculture applications from all over the world –initiating its first cohort on 16 February 2018– and offers the chance to participate in its threemonth program, beginning in April 2018 in Bergen. To know more, visit www.hatch.blue