Three companies, including a leading financial institution in Ecuador and an aquaculture tech company, have joined the Sustainable Shrimp Partnership (SSP).
Ecuador-based financial institution Banco Guayaquil, AI and machine-learning tech company Kampi, and health, nutrition, and sustainability solutions firm Kemin AquaScience are now associate members of SSP – a pre-competitive collaboration formed to improve shrimp sustainability standards.
“At the SSP, we are pleased to welcome our new partners,” SSP Director Pamela Nath said. “Their inclusion strengthens the diversity and depth of our platform. Each brings a unique perspective and set of capabilities that enrich our dialogue and enable us to move toward more comprehensive and ambitious solutions.”
The Ecuadorian seafood industry launched SSP in 2018 during Seafood Expo North America, has gone on to create a blockchain-based traceability application for shrimp, and recently released its first-ever sustainability report in January. The organization said the addition of three new companies further expands its network and aids its mission to advance sustainability practices in shrimp aquaculture.
Banco Guayaquil Vice President of Corporate Banking and Value Chain Fernando Coronel said its membership was a direct result of the growing importance of shrimp aquaculture in Ecuador. Ecuador has emerged as a dominant global force in shrimp aquaculture, with double-digit production growth in recent years.
“Our commitment is to support the sector in its transition toward more innovative and sustainable production by providing financing for clean energy, technology, and modern infrastructure,” Coronel said. “By joining the SSP, we reaffirm our vision that sustainability is an opportunity for growth and competitiveness, and we remain committed to being active partners to Ecuador’s shrimp industry.”
Kampi Managing Director Eduardo Arosemena said as SSP pushes forward on the sustainability front, technology will increasingly play a part.
“The adoption of technologies such as artificial intelligence has already proven its value in the sector, enabling more precise and reliable decision-making,” Arosemena said. “Joining the SSP allows us to align this vision with other stakeholders who are committed to the same goal.”
Kemin AquaScience Regional Technical Director José Duarte said SSP’s goals align with Kemin AquaScience’s mission to improve the resilience of shrimp aquaculture and reduce environmental impacts.
“Joining the SSP has been more than a partnership; it has meant joining a cause that inspires us and challenges us to transform the way we produce shrimp, with responsibility, transparency, and respect for what truly matters: our planet and the generations that will inherit it,” Duarte said.
The three companies join other major feed and aquaculture companies including Adisseo, BASF, BioMar, Cargill, Corbion, dsm-firmenich, INVE Aquaculture, Skretting, and Vitapro.
