[ AQUACULTURE ] further developed and adjusted to developments using an open and transparent process. The Standards Oversight Committee (SOC), where representatives from all interest groups involved work together (environmental groups, science and industry each make up one third of the committee), is responsible for these updates. Drafts of new standards are made available to the public for comments for 60 days. If necessary and reasonable, these comments are incorporated into the final draft, which must be finally approved by the SOC and GAA Administrative Board.
Improvements and updates to the standards are possible at any time The BAP certifications are therefore both science-based and flexible, offering both certified companies and consumers a high level of security and reliability. For processing companies, the BAP Seafood Processing Plant Standard has the additional advantage of also complying with the requirements of the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI). If they are successfully certified as part of the BAP programme, companies can also achieve GFSI conformity through a single auditing process. BAP certification standards are also recognised by the Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative (GSSI). Important stakeholders such as seafood companies, NGOs, experts, institutions and intergovernmental organisations have joined together for this global benchmarking initiative. The GSSI’s Global Benchmark Tool is based on international FAO reference documents. It assesses the credibility of certification systems and, if necessary, initiates further improvements to strengthen trust in these labels, logos and seals. In addition to BAP and ASC, there are already three certification programmes for wild fisheries that have been recognised by
The idea for BAP certification standards dates back some 20 years and was first targeted at shrimp aquaculture, which was increasingly criticised at the time.
the GSSI: the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), Alaska Responsible Fisheries Management (RFM) and Island Responsible Fisheries Management (IRFM) certification programmes. Just as the auditors assess and evaluate companies during the course of certification, the BAP programme or the standards it contains are assessed by others. For example, the Amsterdam Royal Tropical Institute (KIT), which works on the sustainable development of specialist expertise, training and intercultural cooperation, has investigated how BAP certification actually affects social and labour standards in aquaculture farms and processing operations. It recently confirmed that the certification process has had positive effects on the protection of fundamental rights, the elimination of forced and child labour and human trafficking, and that it increased equality of opportunities. A certificate cannot fix or eliminate all undesirable social phenomena in specific regions of the world, but it contributes to improving occupational safety and the protection of employee health, ensuring fair
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pay or a minimum wage or raising standards of living, hygiene and nutrition. Binding sustainability standards have also led to improvements in other areas. A few years ago, for example, the US Soy Sustainability Assurance Protocol (SSAP) was adopted as a standard for soy cultivation for feed mills in the BAP programme. This was a very important step, because soy is increasing in importance as an alternative source of protein in feed mills for aquaculture. However, using soy instead of fish meal is only accepted in many markets if it is sustainably cultivated. With the independent SSAP certificate, which is monitored by third parties, soybean growers in the USA can now prove the sustainability of their operations at a national level. GAP certification is thus making an important contribution towards more sustainable aquaculture in this area, serving to defuse the occasional criticism of the use of soy in aquaculture feeds. However, certification alone is not everything, as certified operations must also continue to comply with the requirements and standards
in the long term. In 2016, an article in SeafoodSource magazine reported on evidence of antibiotics in imported prawns, including products from four BAP-certified exporters. In this case, the infringements were detected by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), but the GAA also carries out its own controls to check for antibiotic residues in products. BAPcertified processing operations are usually tested every 3–6 months. If a company violates the certification standards, it is contacted immediately and must promptly introduce corrective measures. At the same time, significantly more unannounced tests are carried out on site to verify compliance with the regulations. Any company that does not respond is suspended or loses its certificate. This means that fish and seafood products with the blue and white seal are a safe and trustworthy choice for consumers. They can be sure that the products come from sustainable aquaculture and that the fish have been cultivated according to the highest standards available. mk
