Global Aquaculture Alliance Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP)

The GAA Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) facility certification standards defines the most important elements of responsible aquaculture and provides quantitative guidelines by which to evaluate adherence to those practices for processing plants, farms, hatcheries and feed mills. Fully accredited ISO 65.

Social – Processing plants and farms certified against the BAP standards must ensure a safe, healthy working environment. In total, the BAP processing plant standards contain 48 clauses related to worker safety, health and employee relations and intentionally address wages and other terms of employment and the use of child and forced labour. Took a stand against child labour and forced labour in the shrimp supply chain by prohibiting BAP-certified processing plants from outsourcing the processing of shrimp to third-party entities, from 1 January 2016.

In August 2017 GAA launched new social responsibility aquaculture courses. Written by social development consultant Birgitte Krogh-Poulsen, a member of GAA’s Standards Oversight Committee, the courses address social responsibility as an essential element of aquaculture. The course lessons cover fundamental labour rights, worker safety and health, and community relations. The course lessons are geared toward seafood processors and farmers.

In April 2018 GAA announced it was seeking consultants to assess the social impact of BAP certification.

The goal of the study is to better understand how BAP’s social and labour standards are applied and how they impact practices among seafood farmers, processors and buyers. With more than 2,000 BAP-certified processing plants, farms, hatcheries, and feed mills in 33 countries and six continents the study sought to focus on a selection of countries in each continent and investigate impact through data analysis and stakeholder interviews. The results were reported on at the Seafish Seafood Ethics Common Language Group meeting in January 2020.

Significance for seafood businesses: 

A seafood-specific standard. Sourcing seafood that is accredited to a standard that has a social component provides reassurance that the seafood you are purchasing has been independently verified concerning social issues.

Note: 

This links with the IFFO RS and Seafish Responsible Fishing Scheme.

Note: 

GAA is working collectively with IFFO, Lyons Seafoods Co., Wm Morrison Supermarkets, Tesco, Waitrose, M&J Seafood/Brakes Group and Direct Seafood to address the social concerns related to aquafeed production. Announcement in October 2014.

Note: 

GAA signed a MOU with GlobalG.A.P. and ASC which includes collaborative working on social responsibility in April 2013.

Find out more

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