Current News
Delhaize America – parent company for over 1,500 Food Lion, Bloom, Bottom Dollar, Hannaford Bros., Harveys and Sweetbay supermarkets in the United States – is requiring its fish and shellfish suppliers to source all farmed seafood from BAP-certified facilities by March 2011.
Best Aquaculture Practices certification for farmed seafood has become a key element of the Seafood Sustainability Policy of Kroger Co., the United States’ largest traditional grocery retailer. The BAP retail mark will soon appear on Kroger’s private-label shrimp, tilapia and channel catfish items.
Pescanova USA’s dynamic Chief Executive Officer Domingo Moreira has joined the board of directors of the Global Aquaculture Alliance. “GAA is indeed fortunate to have people of Domingo’s caliber join its board," GAA Vice President Bill Herzig said. Moreira takes over from Antonio Pino, who served since 2008.
The Global Aquaculture Alliance has added another link to its Best Aquaculture Practices certification program by completing BAP standards for feed mill certification. Feed manufacturers can now achieve BAP certification by contacting Best Aquaculture Practices Certification Management, formerly the Aquaculture Certification Council.
BAP Program Achieves GFSI Food Safety Benchmark -- June 2010
The Global Aquaculture Alliance Best Aquaculture Practices certification program has been successfully benchmarked against Global Food Safety Initiative food safety requirements. Seafood-processing plants can now achieve both BAP certification and GFSI compliance through a single audit process. Seafood Champion K. Dun Gifford -- May 2010
Iconic Seafood Champion K. Dun Gifford Passes at 71. Lifelong seafood advocate passed away in his home in Exeter, New Hampshire.
Continued progress in standards development and market reach was reported at the March Standards Oversight Committee meeting in Boston. The BAP feed mill standards were approved for release pending final changes. The Integrated Operating Module program, which combines small shrimp farms under a single administrative identity for certification, was updated.
GAA Expands E-Communications for 2010 -- January 2010
The Global Aquaculture Alliance is updating its communications program for 2010 with an expanded focus on electronic media. Look for a new website design and new digital magazine, as well as more frequent issues of the GAA Update e-mail newsletter. GAA Welcomes Public Comments on BAP Pangasius Standards -- January 2010
Drafts of the new Best Aquaculture Practices standards for Pangasius farms are now posted for public comment. Interested parties must submit comments by March 31. The new standards apply only to facilities that raise Pangasius in ponds. GAA Memberships Change for 2010 -- January 2010
The new year presents new ways to support responsible aquaculture, as the Global Aquaculture Alliance has revised its membership structure. GAA’s new Individual Membership level provides benefits not previously offered. Pete Bridson Joins BAP Standards Oversight Committee -- October 2009
Pete Bridson, aquaculture research manager at the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Department of Conservation Outreach, has been appointed to the Standards Oversight Committee that oversees the development of the Global Aquaculture Alliance Best Aquaculture Practices certification program.
The Best Aquaculture Practices certification process will transition from using individual evaluators to inspect facilities to coordinating with inspectorates certified by the International Organization for Standardization during 2010. All evaluators must meet basic education and experience requirements, and receive BAP training.
Sodexo, a leading food and facilities services management company, will require Best Aquaculture Practices certification for all of its contracted purchases of aquaculture seafood products sold in North America by 2015. The decision is a key step in sourcing sustainable seafood throughout the company's global operations.
GAA Statement on WWF-GLOBALGAP Linkage -- June 2009
As the global leader in the development of science-based aquaculture standards, the Global Aquaculture Alliance supports any effort to advance the development of responsible aquaculture. However, work with retailers in particular has shown that they want the "one-stop shop" that BAP provides -- not an approach of having to patch together various programs that cover only a portion of what BAP offers. Salmon Technical Committee Membership Confirmed -- June 2009
The BAP Standards Oversight Committee recently approved the membership of the new Salmon Farm Technical Committee, a 12-person group that will draft Best Aquaculture Practices certification standards for salmon farms. The technical committee includes representatives from industry, the NGO community and academia.