The Global Aquaculture Alliance’s (GAA) Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) third-party certification program for sustainable aquaculture experienced 11 percent growth in 2014 in the number of certified facilities.
Through October, the number of certified facilities is up to 729 worldwide, including 61 farms, compared to the number on 1 January 2014.
Much of the growth in 2014 is from farmed Atlantic salmon. The number of BAP-certified salmon farms reached 85 through October, up 53 farms from 1 January, while the annual output from BAP-certified salmon farms has more than tripled to approximately 588,000 metric tons (MT).
The annual output from BAP-certified processing plants is holding firm at 1.41 million MT, up 1 percent. The total number of BAP-certified processing plants stands at 261, up 4 percent.
GAA also attributes its progress to standards development, with additional growth anticipated for the BAP program in 2015. In September, the BAP program expanded its coverage with the completion of new BAP hatchery and nursery standards for finfish, crustaceans and mollusks, which will allow companies to pursue four-star designation for all species covered by the BAP program, not only shrimp. Currently, there are 29 BAP-certified shrimp hatcheries.
