Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative (GSSI) on Oct. 28 announced that the Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) certification program has been recommended for continued recognition for its Finfish & Crustacean Farm Standards (Issue 2.4) and its Salmon Farm Standards (Issue 2.3) following the completion of GSSI’s Monitoring of Continued Alignment procedure.
As part of the MOCA procedure, the scheme provides an overview of any changes in its ownership, management or the standards themselves, and the report is reviewed by independent experts, who then make a recommendation on continued recognition of the scheme. For the BAP Finfish & Crustacean Farm Standards and BAP Salmon Farm Standards, the procedure was completed on Oct. 4, and continued recognition was approved.
“We are delighted to have made the grade again and look forward to continued collaboration,” said BAP Standards Coordinator Dan Lee. “GSSI has translated FAO Guidelines into a workable benchmarking process and it’s helping to bring a level playing field to seafood sustainability claims.”
The GSSI Steering Board approved the recognition, determining that the two-star certification against the BAP Finfish & Crustacean Farm Standards and BAP Salmon Farm Standards are in alignment with all Essential Components of the GSSI Global Benchmark Tool, independently verifying alignment with the FAO Technical Guidelines on Aquaculture Certification. It was the seventh and final step in a process that began in December 2015 when BAP applied for recognition.
In addition to environmental responsibility, the BAP standards also address social responsibility, animal health and welfare, food safety and traceability. There are six sets of BAP standards: Finfish & Crustacean Farm Standards, Salmon Farm Standards, Mollusk Farm Standards, Hatchery & Nursery Standards, Feed Mill Standards, and Seafood Processing Plant Standards.
About BAP
A division of the Global Aquaculture Alliance, Best Aquaculture Practices is an international certification program based on achievable, science-based and continuously improved performance standards for the entire aquaculture supply chain – farms, hatcheries, processing plants and feed mills – that assure healthful foods produced through environmentally and socially responsible means. BAP certification is based on independent audits that evaluate compliance with the BAP standards developed by the Global Aquaculture Alliance.
