Harvest Select Catfish has received Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) certification for its catfish-farming and -processing operations for 2010, the Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA) announced on Thursday.
Additionally, the Uniontown, Ala.-based company — which has operations in Arkansas, Mississippi and Alabama and processes more than 180,000 pounds of fish per week — has received ISO-65 accreditation for 2010 by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), becoming the first catfish processor to earn the distinction.
Harvest Select is the first vertically integrated catfish processor to obtain both BAP certification and ISO-65 accreditation.
“We have implemented quality-management systems, which help us constantly improve our services, products and operations,” said Randy Rhodes, Harvest Select president. “Certification can only be consistent when there are proper internal control mechanisms in place supported by regular audits. This is critical for identifying underlying problems and making continuous improvements.
“We made a commitment early on to put the processes in place that would qualify Harvest Select Catfish for BAP certification,” added Rhodes. “It shows our customers that from farm to processing to packaging, we give them the best possible product. Our management and employees have all worked tirelessly to upgrade our entire operation so that more often than not we exceed expectations in all phases of our business.”
