October 29, 2012

Sustainable Fisheries Partnership appoints first aquaculture director

Press release

Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP) on Wednesday (Oct.24) announced the appointment of Anton Immink as the company's first global aquaculture director.

The appointment represents a new phase in the expansion of SFP's aquaculture work and reflects a focus on zonal management initiatives in Asia.

Immink was previously Senior Consultant at Stirling Aquaculture, University of Stirling, and has worked in Bangladesh, India, Thailand, and Vietnam, as well as for the UK Department for International Development and the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation.

He said, "It is an interesting time to take up this post, with the expansion of farm-level certifications that generally overlook the interactions that farms have with each other and the wider environment. Our roundtable approach aims to bring all stakeholders together with the shared aim of long-term sustainability."

SFP believes that while farm-level certification processes provide a focused stepping stone on the road to sustainable aquaculture, there needs to be greater emphasis on the bigger picture. SFP plans to engage producers, processors, buyers, suppliers, and regulators to come together to develop effective plans to manage production zones so that environmental quality, production efficiency, and food safety are maintained throughout the production chain.