Aquaculture Magazine reports:
The global leader in sustainable aquaculture, Regal Springs, in celebration of World Fisheries Day, presented its agenda to fast-track sustainability through two landmark international events that gathered over 400 industry experts and decision-makers from around the globe. The events were the ‘Indonesian Tilapia Blue Food’ discussion forum, held in Jakarta, Indonesia, and the first ‘Honduran Aquaculture Congress’, held in Choluteca, Honduras.
As part of its sustainability leadership, Regal Springs convened representatives from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United States Soybean Export Council, national governments, and leading voices from the tilapia and shrimp industries to drive impactful collaboration and set new sustainability standards for the industry.
“By fostering unity across the sector, we aim to establish new benchmarks for sustainability and lead the charge towards a low-carbon future in aquaculture,” assured Alois Hofbauer, CEO of Regal Springs. “These events are the next step in our commitment to a sustainable, responsible, and resilient seafood supply chain.”
First tilapia producer to partner with IDH
As a call to collective action, Regal Springs urges seafood companies and retailers worldwide to join the Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH) Aquaculture Working Group. They think, together, they can drive transformative change, fostering industry-wide collaboration to create a truly sustainable and resilient seafood sector. Founded in 2008, IDH is an international foundation uniting public and private stakeholders to create sustainable and inclusive global agricultural markets.
As a pioneer in sustainable aquaculture, Regal Springs was the first tilapia producer to partner with IDH, launching an ambitious initiative to measure and reduce environmental impacts, with a particular focus on carbon emissions. Supported by organizations such as the Dutch Government and the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, IDH promotes sustainable practices across private sectors, creating a framework for meaningful progress.
Robust methodologies for environmental assessments
Through IDH’s collaborative model, Regal Springs has worked with leading seafood companies to develop robust methodologies for environmental assessments. Using an ISO 14040/14044-based approach, Regal Springs successfully quantified the carbon footprint of its tilapia products.
After two years of collaboration with feed suppliers to include Scope 3 emissions in its calculations, Regal Springs announced its 2023 carbon footprint results for its Honduran products: 7 kg CO2e/Kg for frozen tilapia and 5.3 kg CO2e/kg of fresh tilapia. For both products, the three primary contributors to emissions, ranked by intensity, are tilapia feed, emissions from the processing plant, and the grow-out stage.
“These findings underscore our commitment to transparency and affirm our determination to reduce aquaculture’s carbon footprint,” Hofbauer added. “We are proud to be at the forefront, showing that a sustainable future for aquaculture is both achievable and essential.”
Building on its progress, Regal Springs plans to extend its carbon footprint assessment to include products from Indonesia and Mexico, as well as its corporate carbon footprint, with new results expected by the end of 2026. Reinforcing its commitment, the company recently published a comprehensive Climate Change Policy, now accessible on its website.
Actionable solutions
Aquaculture is essential to global food security, but its environmental impact, especially carbon emissions, demands urgent attention. As a global leader in sustainable aquaculture, Regal Springs was recognized for producing its Naturally Better Tilapia. Operating across multiple regions, the company prioritizes environmental stewardship and animal welfare at every level of its operations.
“Indonesian Tilapia Blue Food” discussion forum in Jakarta and “Honduran Aquaculture Congress” reunited over 400 industry experts and decision-makers from around the globe to chart actionable solutions for a greener, lower-carbon aquaculture industry.
In celebration of World Fisheries Day, Regal Springs, a global pioneer in premium, responsibly farmed tilapia, is leading the way in carbon emission reduction for the aquaculture industry.
