Latest international BAP Standard issued
A revised version of the Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) Farm Standard includes new requirements on the use of antibiotics, worker safety and land-based farms, among other changes.
The BAP standard is issued by the Global Aquaculture Alliance and is aimed at the aquaculture sector worldwide.The new standard, issue 3.0, covers all feed-fed finfish and crustacean species, as well as other “fed” molluscs and invertebrates, such as abalone and sea cucumbers, raised in land-based facilities. However, separate sets of standards continue to exist for salmonids raised in marine net pens (covered by the BAP Salmon Farm Standard) and unfed mollusc species such as mussels, clams and oysters (covered by the BAP Mollusc Standard).
The latest version of the standard will be mandatory for certified operators as from 1 March 2022, Key provisions in the standard:
• A ban on antimicrobials designated as critically important for human medicine by the World Health Organisation;
• Additional social accountability clauses related to equality and worker safety;
• Additional wildlife protection clauses about acoustic deterrent devices (ADDs) and entanglement;
• Clarity on metrics such as feed conversion ratio, fish in/fish out ratio and effluent nutrient loads; and
• Specific consideration for environmental requirements for reservoir/lake-based cage farms, recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) and coastal flowthrough farms.
The GAA is an international organisation dedicated to advocacy, education and leadership in responsible aquaculture.