In an open letter dated May 5, 2024, 76 environmental, community, and animal welfare groups collectively voiced significant concerns to Mike Kocsis, CEO of the Global Seafood Alliance (GSA), regarding the practices and poor standards of the Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) certification, particularly the Salmon Farm Standard Issue 3.0.
The letter criticizes the standards for not sufficiently protecting marine ecosystems and alleges that the certification process is more about maintaining industry norms than enforcing rigorous environmental protections. The signatories argue that the BAP standards lack “meaningful metric limits or performance expectations” for addressing critical environmental impacts such as sea lice, disease, illegal pesticide use, and pollution. They contend that compliance with these standards often boils down to simply adhering to local regulations, which may not adequately safeguard the environment or the welfare of farmed salmon.
Highlighted instances of certified facilities continuing operations despite evidence of environmental damage and legal violations include Cooke Aquaculture receiving BAP certification after illegal pesticide use and Northern Harvest Sea Farms Group maintaining its certification despite similar offenses. According to the letter, these examples showcase a pattern where certified farms contribute to environmental degradation yet continue to be marketed as “environmentally responsible.”
BAP has also been criticized for not covering critical parts of the supply chain, obscuring production phases that are at high risk for labor violations and forced labor. Investigations have revealed that audits are frequently flawed, leading to overlooked or disregarded infractions.
According to the Corporate Accountability Lab (CAL), despite claims of responsibly sourced seafood by certification programs like BAP, these initiatives often serve as promotional tools that do not effectively safeguard workers or the environment. The signatories of this letter would agree with that statement, alleging that BAP primarily operates as a marketing tool initiated and controlled by the industry to benefit the salmon farming sector rather than protecting wild fish, marine ecosystems, or the well-being of farmed fish.
In addressing the letter in response to E+E Leader, Devan Meserve, Vice President of Marketing and Communications at the GSA, emphasized the rigorous process of developing and maintaining the BAP Standards. According to Meserve, the BAP Standards are crafted through an “internationally recognized process,” which includes a technical committee of experts, a public comment period, and approvals by a Standards Oversight Committee (SOC) comprised of members from academia, NGOs, and the industry.
Meserve stated, “The GSA public comment period for the BAP Salmon Farm Standard Issue 3.0 closed on May 5, 2024. All comments received during the period will be carefully considered for inclusion in the final draft, individually addressed, and made publicly available on the BAP website.” She further highlighted that the draft version of Salmon Farm Standard 3.0 had been modified to enhance its comprehensiveness, with significant changes addressing social responsibility and interactions with wildlife and predators.
BAP standard audits, conducted by accredited third-party certification bodies, are performed at least once annually. To gain certification, producers must meet all criteria and rectify any non-conformities. “BAP Standard audits are conducted by accredited third-party certification bodies at least once per year and producers must meet all criteria and correct all non-conformities before certification is granted,” Meserve added.
The debate between environmental advocates and industry representatives over the sufficiency and enforcement of aquaculture standards is longstanding and ongoing. While the GSA defends its process as thorough and inclusive, the environmental groups call for more stringent measures to ensure that the industry does not compromise the health of marine ecosystems or the welfare of its farmed species.
As the GSA prepares to finalize the Salmon Farm Standard Issue 3.0, the global community watches closely, anticipating how these standards will evolve in response to the mounting pressures and whether they will lead to more sustainable and responsible aquaculture practices.
