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"More Than 70 Groups Criticize Global Seafood Alliance's BAP Salmon Farm Standard 3.0 in Letter"
A letter, endorsed by over 70 environmental, animal welfare, and community organizations across 18 countries, has castigated the Global Seafood Alliance's (GSA) Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) certification standard for salmon farming, terming it as greenwashing industrial practices. The missive, submitted on the final day of the public consultation for the BAP Salmon Farm Standard issue 3.0, alleges a lack of substantial metrics or performance expectations for certified farms concerning critical environmental impacts such as sea lice, disease, antibiotics, and endangered species.
According to Kelly Roebuck, Sustainable Seafood Campaigner at Living Oceans Society and SeaChoice Representative, despite claims of 'responsible seafood' by BAP and similar certifications, mounting evidence suggests environmental harms and human rights abuses persist. Roebuck highlights concerns regarding the inclusion of farms in Chile's marine protected areas, Canadian, Scottish, and Norwegian farms with lethal sea lice loads, and Australian farms endangering species like the Maugean skate.
The public comment period for the Salmon Farm Standard Issue 3.0 concluded on May 5, 2024. The GSA states that all received comments will be individually addressed and publicly available on the BAP website. The standard underwent modifications to enhance comprehensiveness in areas such as social responsibility and wildlife interactions.
Rachel Mulrenan, Director at WildFish Scotland, emphasizes the need for stringent and enforceable requirements in certification schemes. Mulrenan asserts that existing research by organizations including WildFish, Living Oceans, and SeaChoice indicates a lack of accountability in current certification processes, risking consumer deception and obscuring the true environmental costs.
The letter references eight instances between 2014 and 2023 where the BAP standards allegedly failed to meet claimed environmental standards, with a majority of examples from Canada.
Following the public comment period, the draft standard will be reviewed by the BAP standards oversight committee, comprising representatives from academia, NGOs, and industry experts, before final approval by the BAP Technical Committee, SOC, and GSA Board of Directors.
The criticism coincides with broader scrutiny on seafood eco-labels, including challenges with the Marine Stewardship Council's 3.0 standard rollout and concerns over the RPSCA's certification of Scottish salmon farms. Additionally, allegations of issues with social audits of Chinese and Indian seafood processing facilities and lawsuits regarding false labeling of seafood sustainability claims add to the challenges facing the industry.
GSA has acknowledged ongoing investigations into allegations concerning shrimp producers certified in India and is assessing potential improvements to ensure a more robust program. However, no final conclusions have been disclosed at this stage.
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