Japanese food and beverage conglomerate S. Ishimitsu & Co., Ltd. has committed to sourcing seafood from Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP)-certified farms and processing plants, the Global Seafood Alliance announced on 10 August.
Kobe, Japan-based Ishimitsu, established in 1906, already offers a breaded and tempura processed shrimp products carrying the BAP label. Its other processed seafood products are made from neon flying squid, which is relatively abundant compared to the Japanese flying squid; and octopus, in which processing scraps are utilized to make full use of the limited resource.
“In order to work on the [U.N.] Sustainable Development Goals, we are actively promoting the handling of BAP-certified products that are globally recognized as ethical labels for aquaculture,” Ishimitsu said. “BAP is an environmentally-friendly and community-friendly aquaculture certification system that strives to supply sustainable seafood.”
Ishimitsu Seafood Category Manager Shinji Minami said expanding the company’s sales of BAP-certified products is the “first step” in the company’s seafood sustainability efforts.
“We pursue social value as well as economic value. In addition to contributing to local communities, we will utilize the technologies, wisdom, and partnerships we have cultivated so far to solve social problems around the world,” Minami said.
Ishimitsu will join several other suppliers and retailers offering BAP products in Japan, but the BAP website does not yet show any BAP-certified producers in Japan. The program has a strong presence in Asia, however, with many producers listed in China, Vietnam, Indonesia, and India.
“We are very excited to announce this partnership with Ishimitsu-Shoji and I’d like to commend them for recognizing the importance of sourcing seafood that is not only produced using socially ethical manner but also looking at all the facets of responsible seafood production,” BAP Vice President of Market Development Steve Hart said.
