SHRIMP ALLEGATIONS BEING INVESTIGATED

The Global Seafood Alliance (GSA) is currently investigating allegations made against shrimp producers in India and is exploring short-, medium-, and long-term changes to better assess compliance with the organization’s Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) standards.

Initial investigations into Indian operations highlighted in Outlaw Ocean Project and Hidden Harvest reports have identified the following key elevated assessment areas:

• The prevalence of pre-processing sites across the Indian shrimp industry and how they are captured in audit reports
• Traceability of raw source material
• Worker pay and housing

A representative from the GSA program integrity department recently traveled to India, and the team is collecting evidence using internal sources and existing audit data, as well as aggregating and analyzing all evidence and findings from the external investigations.

GSA is in the process of assessing how different potential improvements could contribute to a more robust program, including but not limited to:

• Determining how best to incorporate genuine worker voice into the BAP program
• Reviewing the way in which star status claims are evaluated in relation to metric tonnage, and potentially changing reporting requirements onsite
• Initiating collaborative efforts with organizations to help improve the overall audit process
• Considering how technology could be utilized in new and different ways to facilitate the audit process

The ongoing investigation is currently focused on a small group of shrimp facilities, and no final conclusions can be shared at this time. GSA welcomes collaboration, including engagement with Indian associations and organizations working to improve the country’s shrimp supply chains. GSA remains committed to its mission of advancing responsible seafood practices through education, advocacy, and third-party assurances, and will provide additional information as it becomes available.

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