SEAFOODNEWS.COM by John Sackton — December 22, 2015 — The recent announcement by the Thai Shrimp Association that all shrimp peeling will be brought in house by major processors, and that use of third party peeling sheds will be discontinued, is not a ‘win’ for the shrimp industry.

Instead it shows that many have been asleep at the switch, and the safeguards put in place such as audits and certifications, have been inadequate.  However, several US importers say that they had already taken steps to safeguard their supply chain against labor abuse.

Jeff Sedacca, President of the shrimp division of National Fish & Seafood said, “We saw many years ago that Thai safeguards were not adequate, so we took proactive steps to create, implement, and enforce safeguards of our own, including discontinuation of peeling sheds in 2010 and advocating for expansion of fair labor practices required for BAP certification.”

Sedacca says his company has fully committed to the BAP program, and is one of the largest four star shrimp suppliers in the US.

In Thailand, National intends to gain four star certification in the First Quarter of this year, when the new feedmill and hatchery to supply many of their farms gets its certification.  The feed mill and hatchery has been operating this year, but has to build up a production record prior to being inspected by BAP auditors.

This story originally appeared on SeafoodNews.com, a subscription site. It has been reprinted with permission.