US fishing and processing company Atlantic Capes Fisheries, a fully integrated seafood operation based in Fall River MA, has become the first company to achieve Best Seafood Practices (BSP) certification for its entire supply chain.
Atlantic Capes Fisheries is a leading scallop and surf clam producer, processing more than 20% of US scallop landings.
The company owns 25 vessels which are the first vessels to achieve certification to the Responsible Fishing Vessel Standard (RFVS) in North America and also processing plants in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The Massachusetts location was first certified to the Seafood Processing Standard (SPS) back in 2019 and was a pioneer for the standard when it was modified to include wild caught seafood.
The company’s fleet harvests surf clams and sea scallops from fisheries certified to a standard recognised by the Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative (GSSI), which means it meets BSP’s criteria for sourcing from a responsible fishery.
‘Atlantic Capes Fisheries was an early supporter of the BSP programme because we believe in GSA’s vision and see value in one organisation providing assurances for both the wild and farmed seafood supply chains,’ said the company’s director of quality assurance Matthew Grolnic.
‘By attaining certification of our processing plants and vessels and sourcing from responsible fisheries, we have greater access to the marketplace and demonstrate to our customers that we use safe and responsible practices.’
‘We commend Atlantic Capes Fisheries for being an early adopter of the BSP programme,’ said GSA CEO Brian Perkins.
‘They have understood from the beginning the value that GSA provides in addressing gaps in seafood certification and we applaud them for achieving certification for their entire supply chain.’
