USSEC escorted a Colombian team of representatives of fish producers and aqua feed mills to attend the Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) Certification Conference 2015 in Bogota.  This event was organized by the Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA) and the National Fish Producers Association of Colombia (FEDEACUA) and was attended by more than 50 people from the aquaculture industry in that country.

The main topics presented at this conference were Market Trends in the U.S. and Europe; Aquaculture Regulations to Export to the U.S.; BAP Certification - Current Situation and Trends in Colombia; and Sustainable Aquaculture in Colombia.  USSEC consultant Jairo Amezquita gave two presentations, “The Role of USSEC with Aquaculture and the Sustainable Production of U.S. Soy” and “The Importance of being Certified in Sustainable Production.”
USSEC sponsored the fish and feeds producers invited to this event to get BAP Certification during FY 15/16.  The producers had the opportunity to listen to updates and to hear from different sectors of the aqua industry about the advantages of being certified under the standards of this entity to reach more exigent markets, mainly the U.S. market.  Colombia is the biggest fish producer in the Americas region and one of the top world producers of tilapia.  In 2014, the country produced more than 100 thousand metric tons (TMT) of aquaculture products, which represents the potential consumption of more than 52 TMT of U.S. soybean meal.  It is very important for USSEC to continue its support to the Colombian aquaculture industry to increase the consumption of U.S. soybean meal.