The Global Aquaculture Alliance has awarded New Zealand King Salmon (NZKS) a fourth star for responsible aquaculture production.

It is the world’s first King salmon producer and the first salmon producer in Australasia to achieve four-star status. The accolade was awarded to NZKS following an audit of its major feed supplier, Skretting.

This means that NZKS will now offer four-star Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) salmon. “Put into restaurant terms, this is the equivalent of earning a Michelin star” says NZKS CEO and Managing Director Grant Rosewarne.

“New Zealand King Salmon is an ambitious company that never rests on its laurels and is constantly working to become even more economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable.”

Four-star is the highest designation in the BAP third-party certification program, indicating that a product originates from a BAP-certified feed mill, hatchery, seafarm and processing plant. “We’re absolutely thrilled with this certification, because it further recognises more than 30 years of hard work and investment in growing the world’s best salmon,” Rosewarne says.  “It is also particularly pleasing to be the first King salmon producer in the world to receive the four-star certification. The aquaculture industry is a competitive one, but we’ve always been confident we are amongst the best and this is clear proof.

“Our business is showing impressive growth, with sales up by around 30 per cent year on year. We’re working hard to supply the increased demand from customers at home and in offshore markets such as the United States and Japan.  “We are focused on plans that will allow us to expand our operations while lifting environmental standards. This will enable a continued contribution to our local communities in the top of the South, as well as to New Zealand’s export successes.

“A certification like this confirms our leadership status in NZ’s maturing aquaculture industry.”

Grant Rosewarne, CEO and Managing Director, New Zealand King Salmon Investments Ltd
email: grant.rosewarne@kingsalmon.co.nz

About BAP:
A division of the Global Aquaculture Alliance, Best Aquaculture Practices is an international certification program based on achievable, science-based and continuously improved performance standards for the entire aquaculture supply chain — farms, hatcheries, processing plants and feed mills — that assure healthful foods produced through environmentally and socially responsible means. BAP certification is based on independent audits that evaluate compliance with the BAP standards owned by the Global Aquaculture Alliance.