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 The "Best Aquaculture Practices Certified" mark on packaging for seafood means the facilities that raised and/or processed the seafood adhere to the Best Aquaculture Practices standards for responsible aquaculture. BAP-certified hatcheries, feed mills, farms and processing plants apply practices that minimize environmental impacts, respect workers' rights and produce wholesome products.
The BAP mark currently appears on packages of frozen and prepared shrimp, tilapia and catfish. As the BAP program expands to various other fish and shellfish species, a similar mark will be used.
The design for the mark has recently changed due to the expansion of BAP certification to include feed mills. As shown to the right, the new mark includes one to four stars, which reflect the level of program participation. Shrimp products can bear a mark with up to four stars, while marks on salmon, tilapia, channel catfish and Pangasius packages have up to three stars. BAP standards for salmon, tilapia and catfish hatcheries have not yet been developed.
The certification number near the center of the mark indicates where the product was processed -- see the Best Aquaculture Practices website for a full listing of BAP-certified processing plants and other facilities.
The guidelines for use of the BAP certification mark allow variations in size and location on packaging. Processors also have the option to include a brief text description of the mark.
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