GAA’s BAP Division Highlights Program Integrity
The Global Aquaculture Alliance’s Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) division in early September reinforced its commitment to responsible aquaculture with a revision to its website that dedicates separate webpages to program integrity.
Within the new webpages are new documents and menu items, the release of which helps explain the lengths to which the third-party certification scheme goes to ensure program integrity.
The two documents — “BAP Program Integrity FAQs” and “BAP Multi-Star Integrity Tips for Buyers” — are available for download on the BAP website. In addition to the two documents, two new webpages have been added to the BAP website — “Multi-Star Integrity” and “Logo Usage, Brand Identity and Product Claims.”
The “BAP Program Integrity FAQs” document clarifies the various roles, qualifications and procedures for program integrity regarding BAP, certification bodies (CBs), auditors and facilities.
The two-page “BAP Multi-Star Integrity Tips for Buyers” document is designed for buyers looking to ensure the accuracy of the two-, three- and four-star BAP products that they’re purchasing. For example, buyers are urged to ask suppliers to clearly identify the star status of a product and the volume of 2-, 3- or 4-star product as part of a purchasing specification.
The document is also designed to clarify any misperceptions about multi-star status. For example, facilities listed as part of a two-, three- or four-star production group means that they are capable of producing the multi-star product. It does not mean that 100% of the group’s production is multi-star.
Finally, a “Logo Usage, Brand Identity and Product Claims” webpage has been added to the BAP website. Available for download on the webpage are guidelines designed to ensure that the BAP logo is being used appropriately and that any claims associated with BAP are portrayed in an accurate manner. There are three sets of guidelines — one for production facilities, one for marketing and communications purposes and one for retail and foodservice purposes.
