Guolian takes title for world's first ASC-certified crayfish farm; California market squid fishery wins MSC certification

SeafoodSource is closely following the sustainable seafood movement by compiling a regular round-up of sector updates pertaining to eco-certifications.

-Tommy’s Seafood, a raw and frozen shrimp processor and distributor headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana U.S.A., has achieved Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) certification. 

The certification provides assurances about the company's food safety management systems, Tommy's Seafood CEO Tommy Delaune said in a release. 

"We are immensely proud to achieve this certification, a testament to our relentless pursuit of uncompromising food safety and quality standards," Delaune said in a release. "Our team has worked diligently to implement robust systems and procedures that ensure the safety and integrity of our seafood products at every stage of the production process. This certification not only reinforces our commitment to our customers but also reaffirms our position as a trusted leader in the seafood industry."

- The Alliance of Historic California Squid Producers is celebrating new Marine Stewardship Council certification for the California market squid fishery in the U.S. state of California.

The Cal Marine Fish Company, Monterey Fish Company, Southern Cal Seafood, Southern Coast Trading, Neptune Foods, and the J. DeLuca Fish Company, jointly announced the news on 31 July in a press release. The companies are currently enjoying a monumental season for California market squid.

"Cal Marine is incredibly proud to spearhead the pursuit of MSC certification of our California market squid fishery [on behalf of the Alliance]. We look forward to providing the market with the highest quality sustainably certified products in the industry. At Cal Marine, we take great pride in our commitment to sustainable fishing practices and achieving certification for the California Market Squid fishery is a testament to that dedication. With this certification, our customers can enjoy peace of mind knowing that every pound of our highest quality squid products are certified sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council and its robust, industry-leading standards."

-n 27 June,Guolian (Yiyang) Crayfish Breeding Biotechnology Co. became the first crawfish-farming firm to become certified by the Aquaculture Stewardship Council for responsible farming practices. The Yiyang, China-headquartered farm (pictured above) has a 2,100-acre base with an annual capacity of 2,000 tons of red swamp crayfish.

“We’re proud to be the first ASC-certified crayfish farm in the world,” Guolian Aquaculture Group President Chen Han said in a press release. “ASC certification is an internationally renowned and highly recognized gold standard in the aquaculture industry. Obtaining it is a full validation of Guolian’s active efforts to transform and improve crayfish farming.”

Changes made to ASC's shrimp standard made in April 2022 allowed for the certification of freshwater crayfish and freshwater shrimp farms.

Photo courtesy of ASC