| 10 Mar 2010 |
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National Prawn Company appoints General Manager of Quality and Sustainability
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New manager appointed to drive and develop NPCNPC
's sustainability and quality programmes into organisation, among the world's largest integrated prawn farms, has appointed Frédéric Millet as General Manager Of Quality & Sustainability. His brief is to oversee the sustainability programmes that form the basis of the company's high quality products.
The appointment flags one of the core values of NPCNPC
's desert coastal aquaculture business, which is not simply to maintain and preserve the environment in which the prawns and soon (sea cucumbers and greater Amberjack), breed, but to ensure the commercial longevity of the entire operation. "The ponds and culture have been meticulously engineered from the beginning. The real challenge is to scale up the business while working on these foundations of sustainable development and to ensure these are maintained, improved and embedded in our corporate culture to the highest possible level as NPCNPC grows," Millet explained."We do not push the ecosystem to its limit. We prefer to extend the system to the maximum that is sustainable through an "All In All Out" strategy within the capabilities of the local environment in a way that leaves it in good condition," said Millet. NPCNPC took the long-term view with a 20 year extendable strategy to develop a prawn industry in Saudi Arabia, rather than a five year plan for maximum short term returns.
Millet said that in many areas NPCNPC had achieved an optimal balance, for example in the maintenance and preparation of the ponds in terms of their ecology and condition to avoid any outbreak of disease. "We need to expand and integrate this thinking across all non-farming aspects of the business," he said.
All the component areas of the operation - breeding, feeding and cleaning have to work together in parallel and all at the same target. "Everyone needs to be focused on the same goal - that of sustainability."
Millet was called in at the growth stage of the 250 km2 project to drive the company forward while ensuring that sustainability in all areas was further developed and maintained: "You need to anticipate the issues and this we did right from the start. So it is not a matter of overcoming existing problems. We want to continue to improve our systems and processes within a clear, practical framework for sustainability as we develop and scale up the business. The target, at the project's full extension, is that we will have a minimal impact on the environment." This involves a very complex and detailed computer-modeled water study to assess the environmental impact of the effluent, which is significantly below permissible international and Saudi standards.
Millet is not working in a vacuum, which helps considerably with implementation. "We have a team of very experienced professionals who have worked for many years in the business, some on huge projects with enormous challenges, and who bring a strong culture of environmentally friendly management with them," Millet said.
A strong and practical approach to sustainability is very necessary as NPCNPC does not use any chemicals or antibiotics at all in its grow out operation. The environment in which the prawns live is in delicate balance and it is managed with great care. NPCNPC has low density stocking in its 10ha ponds, strict biomass thresholds, and carefully monitors and manages water quality and oxygen levels at all times of the day and night. "We use nothing at all except the very best environmental management practice to sustain the pond natural balance. Very few producers can say that."
Millet's long experience in aquaculture convinced him that there is no conflict between sustainability as a culture and sound business sense. "Getting the balance right ensures a long term benefit for the workers in the company and for the shareholders because the product is of the highest possible quality. Consumers value this highly and their custom decides whether the company remains in business," said Millet "If we involve the environment, corporate culture and consumers into a truly sustainable system, then aquaculture has a bright future in Saudi Arabia."
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About National Prawn Company
National Prawn Company (NPC)National Prawn Company (NPC) is one of the world's largest fully integrated prawn farming operations. It is located on the shore of the Red Sea near Al Lith, south of Jeddah, in Saudi Arabia, on a desert coastal strip occupying an area of just under 250 sq km (roughly 5x the size of Bermuda).
NPCNPC began with a small research project in 1982 and today has grown to play an integral part in the diversification of the Saudi economy through the growth of the Aquaculture industry in the Kingdom. NPCNPC's Al Lith site is a small community in its own right with over 2,500 employees. Onsite is a 21.6Mw power station, feed mill, road building and maintenance, community services, recreational facilities, polyclinic and an International school for employee's families.
It has coined the term Desert Coastal Aquaculture for its extensive, sustainable operations in forbidding terrain. Sustainability is an integral part of NPCNPC's commitment to its customers. All activities from hatchery to pond to cold stores are monitored and fully traceable. An extensive bio-security programme is maintained at all times with daily sampling of various elements from NPCNPC's scientists in the Quality & Sustainability Department guaranteeing the highest levels of food safety.
A privately owned company, NPCNPC produces 14,000 tonnes of white prawns (penaeus indicus) a year. NPCNPC currently comprises 12 farms of between 25 to 28 ponds each. Each pond is roughly 10ha in size. It is currently expanding farming operations with a US$250m investment, which will add another 11 prawn farms of similar size bringing prawn production to approximately 43,000 tonnes. NPCNPC is also revitalizing and broadening its product portfolio and moving to a more structured brand marketing style. NPCNPC is starting an on-land 5,000 tonnes fish production (Greater Amberjack) and production of sea cucumber. Other lines of business include chitin production and marine agriculture with phytoplankton.
NPCNPC sells it prawns domestically and in all major international markets including Japan, Korea, Spain, UK and USA. NPCNPC's prawns are known for their excellent quality and exceptional taste.
About Frédéric Millet
French oceanographer and marine biologist, Frédéric is an international expert in the culture of marine and freshwater crustaceans (peneids shrimps, freshwater prawns, redclaw crawfish).
Frédéric obtained a Master of Oceanography in Marine Biology and Ecology and has over 24 years of experience in the Aquaculture industry.
He has worked in aquaculture projects in various roles around the world including Ecuador, Jamaica and Madagascar.
For more information about NPCNPC please contact:
Laurence Cook
Director, Corporate Communications
M: +966 555071460
T: +966 26638464 ext. 150
Suhaib Alwazir
Managing Partner
Adalid Public Relations
M: +966 503116947
T: +966 22631720 ext.240
© Press Release 2010
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