May/June 2010 - Global Aquaculture Alliance

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New GAA Directors Consider Integration
At March Board Meeting
During the Boston board meeting, Wally Stevens reviewed
the growing status of the BAP program expressed on the “BAP
at Work” signage displayed at the GAA trade show booth.
The March 14 Global Aquaculture Alliance board of directors
meeting began with a moment of silence in honor of Sir
Barry Bowen, a distinguished founding supporter of GAA who
died in a February plane crash. The meeting in Boston, Massachusets,
USA, was well attended by GAA members from
Europe, South America, Asia and the United States.
New Directors
Two new members have joined the GAA board. The slate of
nominees for the GAA board presented by the Nominating
Committee included replacements for Rick Martin and Erwin
Sutanto, two exiting directors.
The following were elected (or re-elected) to serve on the
GAA board of directors:
Lee Bloom, Eastern Fish Co.
George Chamberlain, Global Aquaculture Alliance
Shah Faiez, Blue Archipelago (new nominee)
John Galiher, Preferred Freezer Services
Bill Herzig, Darden Restaurants
Ole Norgaard, Alfesca (new nominee)
Antonio Pino, Promarisco, S.A.
Iain Shone, Lyons Seafoods Ltd.
Bert Bachmann, Rittirong Boonmechote, Ray Jones, Alex
Ko, Jordan Mazzetta, Sergio Nates, John Peppel, John Schramm
and Wally Stevens will continue their terms as GAA directors.
The following officers were approved at the meeting:
Wally Stevens – Executive Director
George Chamberlain – President
Bill Herzig – Vice President
Ole Norgaard – Secretary
Lee Bloom – Treasurer
The Nominating Committee also recommended expansion
of the GAA Executive Committee from four members plus the
executive director to six, plus the executive director. Modification
of the GAA bylaws to accommodate the change was
approved.
Integration
GAA Executive Director Wally Stevens reported that the
success of the Best Aquaculture Practices program – as evidenced
by new standards, more certified facilities and further
penetration into the retail arena – is driving changes that will
bring the Global Aquaculture Alliance, Aquaculture Certification
Council (ACC) and new Responsible Aquaculture Foundation
(RAF) into a tighter trinity.
Since site inspections for Best Aquaculture Practices certification
– formerly the responsibility of ACC – have passed to
independent ISO-65-accredited certification bodies, the previously
required definitive separation of GAA and ACC is no longer
necessary. Closer cooperation between the two entities would
make administration of the BAP program more efficient
through the sharing of support services. The pending charitable
status of the RAF can help subsidize the BAP standard-setting
and training activities through foundation funding.
In the integration, which has been approved by the GAA
and ACC boards to phase in later this year, the Aquaculture
Certification Council will be renamed BAP Certification Management.
As administrative and logistical manager for BAP certification,
it will coordinate inspections, maintain records, monitor
traceability and food safety data, and manage the use of the
BAP mark on retail packaging for companies that participate in
the program.
The Responsible Aquaculture Foundation is expecting to
receive charitable tax status – designated 501(c)(3) by the U.S.
Internal Revenue Service – and begin operations soon. It will
house the BAP Standards Oversight Committee that oversees
the standards development process and the technical committees
that develop individual standards. It will also assume primary
responsibility for the training of BAP auditors and educational
outreach to governments, trade associations, companies and
individuals now carried out by ACC.
Budgets
Stevens said the projected budgets for GAA and ACC reflect
the strong growth achieved by both organizations over the last
decade. The current budgets do not adequately cover three areas
tagged for growth in 2010: Standards Oversight Committee
technical committee work, BAP marketplace expansion and
media coverage.
Further budgets for primary project areas, as well as the need
to establish minimum requirements for contingency funds
retained for emergency reserve, will be reviewed by the GAA
and RAF boards during GOAL 2010 in October.
Strategic Planning
Directors Peppel and Norgaard put forth the need to develop
strategic plans for the next one, two and five years that outline
annual goals for GAA. In examining the aspirations, resources
and risks related to GAA’s execution of its mission, limiting factors
can be identified and plans to address them can more effectively
be formulated. Through strategic planning, the ultimate
question is, how should GAA fit into the global aquaculture seafood
community in five years?
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