First Ever “Shrimp Summit” Set For July 12-13
Guayaquil, Ecuador –The Sustainable Shrimp Partnership (SSP) together with the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC), will host a two-day “Shrimp Summit” in Guayaquil on July 12-13, with the aim of showcasing to key seafood suppliers how shrimp is farmed in Ecuador. With a special focus on highlighting best practices, retail companies and seafood suppliers from North America will experience firsthand the commitment of Ecuadorian producers to comply with the highest quality, social and environmental standards of ASC certification, providing meticulous care in every step of the production cycle.
With its year-round shrimp production, Ecuador has proven to be a constant and reliable supplier of the best shrimp in the world, which has made it the number one producer and exporter of Whiteleg shrimp, also known as Pacific White shrimp, worldwide. Its unique natural ecosystems and preferred weather makes Ecuador a perfect place for shrimp farming, but human factors are key to making perfect shrimp production complete.
“Ecuadorian producers are definitely proud of their shrimp. They have demonstrated great capacity to adapt to the needs of the marketplace, while always prioritizing the well-being of consumers and employees, as well as preservation of the local ecosystem” shared Pamela Nath, SSP Director. “These people are committed to reliability, food safety, sustainability, traceability, and are so determined to challenge the whole industry by proving it is possible to produce premium quality and safe shrimp products. This is the reason why, together with ASC, we’ve decided that Ecuador is the perfect starting point to show a New Way to Seafood”.
The Shrimp Summit will take more than a dozen major retail companies and seafood suppliers to experience how ASC-certified shrimp farming and processing is done in Ecuador. There will be also a workshop between regional producers and North American companies to share their expectations on sustainable sourcing of seafood.
“ASC’s collaboration with SSP is a momentous effort to move the entire shrimp industry into a more viable future,” said Peter Redmond, Senior Market Development Manager, ASC North America. “Ecuador’s ASC-certified shrimp producers serve as examples of the ASC standards hard at work. Our mission to transform aquaculture towards environmental sustainability and social responsibility relies on creating value across the chain, and that starts at the farm. By giving North American retailers an opportunity to engage directly with Ecuadorian producers and the ASC-labeled products they’re delivering to customers, we’re providing a clear path to understanding that clean, quality, shrimp raised with care and without antibiotics offers a myriad of achievable solutions to businesses and consumers, while maintaining positive impacts on local communities and the environment.”
In 2021, Ecuador produced over 2,267 million pounds and exported around 1,855 million pounds, representing close to $5,078 million dollars. Around 406 million pounds were exported to the U.S. alone, generating an increase of 56% compared to 2020. The American consumer prefers added value shrimp presentations, such as head-off, peeled and deveined, among others. Ecuador aims to meet this demand and for this reason many processing plants are making investments to expand their shrimp offerings for the USA market.
ABOUT SSP
The Sustainable Shrimp Partnership (SSP) is a group of leading companies who are committed to transforming the future of shrimp aquaculture. Pioneered in Ecuador, members of the SSP are committed to achieving, and promoting, the highest quality products, produced to the highest social and environmental standards, through greater collaboration and transparency.
