« October 2007 Table of Contents 
Best Aquaculture Practices: A solution for
sustainability
By Wally Stevens
October 01, 2007
Recent food-safety crises have pointed to the real need for,
and value of, certification programs such as Best Aquaculture
Practices (BAP) that the Global Aquaculture Alliance has
developed. Consumers are growing increasingly concerned about
the safety of the food they purchase, particularly seafood. In
response to that concern, retailers are looking for what
amounts to an insurance policy that tells the consumer they can
trust that the seafood they are buying is safe, reliable and
responsibly produced. BAP is unique in that it offers the
seller and the buyer such assurance.
While other organizations have developed comprehensive
guidelines, none go as far as BAP to include third-party,
independent certification to back up the claim that the food is
responsibly produced and sustainable.
How does one define sustainability? While the term is often
used to connote "environmental friendliness," one of the best
definitions I've seen comes from winemaker Fetzer Vineyards,
which defines it in its sales literature. Sustainability, in
Fetzer's view, is the "integration of environmental
responsibility, social equity and economic viability." These
three important concepts are the backbone of GAA's Best
Aquaculture Practices.
Creating sustainability standards is a thorough process, one
that calls for the involvement of all aquaculture stakeholders.
The process needs to be science-based at all times. As it goes
forward in creating standards, the GAA errs on the side of
science and objective measurements. Our hope is that these
standards will provide assurance to the industry, to regulatory
entities and ultimately to the consumer who is looking for
quality and food-safety assurance: Our motto is "prevention,
not detention." While environmental issues are important, the
consumer is looking first and foremost for some indication that
the seafood they eat is wholesome - safety and health are
paramount. BAP standards play a significant role in assuring
both industry and the consumer that the product they buy is
safe.
This is as it should be, and the same truth that applies to
wild fish should also hold true for farmed. Today, the GAA is
delivering to consumers the assurance that the aquaculture
products they purchase have been grown, harvested and processed
under the highest standards. The BAP certification program
introduced for shrimp in 2002 is about to apply to other farmed
seafood species, such as tilapia and channel catfish.
The BAP standards, certified through site audits by the
Aquaculture Certification Council, assure the consumer that the
producer is following carefully considered standards for food
safety, social responsibility and environmental conservation
and protection.
The GAA is committed to working with buyers and sellers as
they convey the importance of these standards to consumers.
Sustainability may cost a few pennies more at the store or the
restaurant. But those of us who are farming seafood are serious
about operating our businesses in a responsible way so that
what we grow will be enjoyed not just today, but tomorrow and
by generations to come.
Wally Stevens is executive director of the Global
Aquaculture Alliance in St. Louis