BAP certification is administered by a nonprofit dedicated to responsible aquaculture. To date, it has certified more than 1,600 facilities worldwide, including fish and crustacean farms, mollusk farms, hatcheries, nurseries, feed mills and processing and packing plants.
To qualify for certification, these facilities must meet a variety of standards, addressing environmental and social responsibility, animal welfare and traceability for farmed seafood. For instance, the farms must be vigilant in keeping their fish separate from wild species, and must have firm policies in place for dealing with escapees.
The wellbeing of workers is scrutinized by BAP, as is the farm’s interaction with the local community. The health of fish is also of paramount importance, and farms are assessed on their management of disease. After all these elements are assessed, farms deemed ethical and responsible can adorn their packaging with the BAP seal of approval.
Of course, BAP isn’t just tough on farms—it’s also tough on itself! Each third-party certifier must be internationally accredited, and every auditor is rigorously trained.
Now, all of this hard work to uncover the most responsible fish farms would be useless if BAP didn’t also have an easy way to relay this information to consumers. So, to make it simple for busy shoppers to identify the best fish to feed their families, BAP developed their own star rating system to help consumers make informed decisions.
If you see a seafood product bearing one BAP star, it means the product was produced in a BAP-certified processing plant. If it bears two stars, it means the product was also produced by a BAP-certified farm. A product with three stars takes things a step further, with this item also produced by a BAP-certified hatchery. Finally, if a product has four stars, it means that in addition to all these conditions, the feed mill at the farm that produced this product was also certified by BAP.
In 2016, Regal Springs earned a four-star rating for its Tilapia produced in Honduras, becoming the first fish farm in the country to do so. This rating was awarded after the local hatchery became BAP-certified, joining the local production center, farm, feed mill and processing plant, all of which had previously held this distinction. In fact, the local processing plant was the very first to earn BAP certification in the country in 2012.
BAP is just one of several certifications helping consumers find seafood that aligns with their values. Aquaculture Stewardship Council and Ocean Wise certifications can also help you source seafood that’s healthful for the environment, for communities and for your family.
Want to choose more sustainable fish for your family, but not sure where to look? Discover our guide to the most responsible seafood choices.
Photo Credits: Regal Springs, BAP, Regal Springs
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