ACC transitions to ISO inspectors

The Aquaculture Certification Council of Crystal River, Fla., is transitioning from individual evaluators to ISO-certified inspectors to monitor and certify aquaculture hatcheries, farms and processing plants in accordance with BAP standards.

Jim Heerin, president of the nonprofit U.S. group, says the transition, which is already under way, will be completed by next year. The initial certification bodies are Global Trust (formerly IFQC) and Michigan-based NSF.  More groups will be enlisted over time, Heerin said.

As part of this transition, ACC will identify itself as “BAP certification management” to reflect its new focus on managing the certification of BAP standards, as well as on educating and training producers in developing countries, “to encourage development of responsible, sustainable aquaculture,” Heerin said.

He described the transition as a “key milestone for the BAP program as it evolves to meet marketplace requirements.” 

The use of ISO-certified inspectors allows BAP certification to comply with the most discriminating international criteria, particularly benchmarking with the Global Food Safety Initiative — now underway — as well as the Food and Agriculture Organization’s Technical Guidelines on Aquaculture Certification, which are being developed. Heerin emphasized that the BAP program continues to require all evaluators to meet basic education and experience requirements and to be trained by ACC. 

BAP-certified processing facilities now produce more than 400,000 metric tons of shrimp and 100,000 metric tons of tilapia — “vastly more than any other certification program or standards,” said ACC VP Bill More, who added that ACC looks forward to soon-to-be-completed BAP feed, salmon and pangasius standards. 

BAP standards were created by the Global Aquaculture Alliance of St. Louis.

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