Australis Aquaculture is one of the world's first Fair Trade Certified finfish farms.

Australis Aquaculture Achieves Fair Trade Certification to Expand Community-Focused Programs in Vietnam

Australis Aquaculture has announced that it has achieved Fair Trade Certification™ and will commit 100% of its Barramundi sales to the program. The company is the world's first Barramundi farmer and Asia's first aquaculture finfish producer to be Fair Trade Certified. The initiative will support the expansion of Australis' community-focused programs in Vietnam.

The Fair Trade Certified seal will be carried on all The Better Fish^® Barramundi sold in over 6000 retail locations in the US, on company branded foodservice products, as well as on Clean Harvest^® Barramundi in international markets beginning this summer.

Australis' Fair Trade program will benefit over 300 workers and their communities in Central Vietnam.

Fair Trade USA is uniquely positioned to provide industry and consumers with holistic choices in sourcing responsibly produced seafood through its comprehensive assessment of social, environmental and economic impacts across the supply chain. The Fair Trade USA model supports sustainable livelihoods by empowering fishers and farmers to improve their lives and their communities. Australis' participation in the program will create a revenue stream from each pound of Fair Trade Certified Barramundi sold that will be available to over 300 workers and their communities in Central Vietnam.

Josh Goldman.

"We are excited to make this commitment during a period of rapid growth," says Josh Goldman, CEO and Co-Founder of Australis Aquaculture. "We began pursuing certification two years ago, and while the process was delayed by COVID, we're thrilled to launch Fair Trade Certified Barramundi today on the heels of our recent ASC Certification.

"Consumers associate The Better Fish^® with better farming practices, so becoming one of the first national seafood brands to become Fair Trade Certified builds on this and empowers our people to realize their aspirations for improving their communities," says Goldman. "Barramundi is 'on fire' with awareness growing faster than any other white fish and a 70% increase in retail sales being reported in 2020."

Australis has been ocean farming and processing Barramundi in central Vietnam since 2007 and has been consistently recognized by the Vietnamese government for its outstanding contributions to the social and economic development of the province.  One initiative has involved organizing monthly coastal clean-up events, known as "Green Day" to improve public beachfront and raise awareness for environmental stewardship in the community. Since its inception, over 80,000 pounds of trash has been collected, with over 2000 volunteers—from school kids to military personnel —helping to pitch in.

Blake Stok.

"We're thrilled to see Australis going all the way with its commitment to fair trade and the livelihoods of its employees in Vietnam," said Blake Stok, Senior Program and Partnership Manager, Seafood at Fair Trade USA. "Today, more than three billion people depend on seafood as their primary protein source. With population growth, the shift to aquaculture has become increasingly important and now supplies more than half of the world's seafood. Our new aquaculture program brings protections and benefits to producers of cultured seafood and promotes socially responsible growth in the industry through partnerships with intentional producers like Australis."

As is the case with other Fair Trade Certified product categories such as coffee, tea, cocoa, produce, apparel and coconut, fair trade seafood certification requires producers to meets rigorous, independently audited standards.

"Our vision for a 'Better Fish, Better World,' is about supporting people with sound nutrition, knowledge and the opportunity to accomplish amazing things," said Julie Qiu, Director of Marketing, "Not only will the Fair Trade USA program give back to our workers and community, we'll also demonstrate to our customers how their purchases are contributing to improving the lives of their Barramundi farmers."

The Better Fish® is available in fine retailers and restaurants around the U.S.

About Australis Aquaculture

Australis Aquaculture  is an award-winning provider of delicious, healthy, sustainable seafood marketed under the banner of The Better Fish® - Better Tasting, Better For You, Better For Our Environment. The company spearheaded the introduction of Barramundi in North America and has proudly seen it grow from a favorite in Australia into an international culinary trend.

Source: Australis Aquaculture

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