Vicente De La Cruz is the CEO of AquaChile’s RFA Inc., the company’s tilapia operation in Costa Rica and Panama, which sells under the RainForest brand. De La Cruz moved to Puerto Montt, Chile, from Santiago with his family in 2012 and began working for AquaChile as sales manager before taking on the CEO role in 2015. He’s now based in Florida.
SeafoodSource: As CEO of Rainforest, what do you see as your main goal or mission for the business and how are you setting about to achieve it?
De La Cruz: We have the challenge to show our customers and consumers the great product our tilapia is. It is not only great in terms of taste and ease of cooking, but also in how sustainable and healthy it is. Currently, delivering this message is probably our main responsibility and need.
SeafoodSource: Was the Global Aquaculture Alliance’s Best Aquaculture Practices certification on your list of goals? What does the recent 4-star BAP certification mean of Rainforest’s Coast Rica operation signify?
De La Cruz: We have the highest certifications available as BAP and ASC (Aquaculture Stewardship Council). This is equivalent to what Seafood Watch points out as its “Good Alternative.” In addition to the certifications and work we carry out with the communities, we have a policy of zero waste, where all the waste generated in the operation is reused, to cause a negligible impact on the environment. All these certifications and practices make us very proud of what we do. The challenge is to get this information to not only our buyers, but the final consumers.
SeafoodSource: Tilapia is a highly popular fish, yet it still has some public relations issues. What needs to happen to improve the overall perception of this fish?
De La Cruz: Although the weak reputation that frozen Asian tilapia has may not be backed up by truthful facts, it is something that has affected the whole category. So the challenge today is to be able to communicate the great characteristics of the tilapia we produce. Our tilapia is for a consumer that is looking for a very premium seafood, but at an affordable level. Our consumers are not only looking for a safe and tasty product, but also that it must be very sustainable, healthy, and responsibly raised in collaboration with the local communities.
SeafoodSource: Your company website mentions that 90 percent of your fresh fillet sales are to the U.S. Is the plan to continue to focus on U.S. sales moving forward, or do you see opportunities in other parts of the world?
De La Cruz: We sell in different countries, but our priority market is the U.S. The fresh tilapia per capita consumption here is very low and I think that if we are able to position ourselves in the right way, there is a lot of room for growth.
SeafoodSource: What do you like best about being in the seafood industry?
De La Cruz: It’s a roller coaster! Every day you find new challenges, meet new people and learn new things. It’s very exciting; no way you’ll get bored.
SeafoodSource: If you weren't CEO, or even in the seafood industry, what would you be doing?
De La Cruz: [I] always wanted to be a writer, but I can’t complain because although I never gave it a shot, I can still read about almost anything. René Descartes once said that reading is like having a conversation with the most brilliant minds from the past. In my opinion, that is absolutely true.
