Best Aquaculture Practices

BAP Website Glossary of Terms

Accreditation
Process of authorizing an auditor or certification body to conduct an audit. Accreditation ensures the auditor is sufficiently qualified, trained and experienced to perform the audit to meet the requirements of the standard setter.
Certification
Process of providing an official document attesting to a producer’s ability to adhere to BAP’s vigorous standards during the aquaculture production cycle per third-party auditors.
Endorser
An organization that endorses the Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) certification program by sourcing from BAP facilities or referencing the BAP program as part of their sourcing policy.
Feed Mill
Facility that produces aquaculture feed using a blend of ingredients specially formulated to meet the nutritional needs of each seafood species.
Fish Farm
Where aquatic animals are grown to harvest size. Farming can occur in ponds, ocean cages, net pens, tanks, raceways or closed-containment vessels.
Hatchery
The breeding and hatching of eggs and rearing of aquatic animals through the early stages of life happens here.
Processing Plant
Last step in the production chain where the aquatic animals may be peeled, filleted, flavored, cooked, frozen or packaged.
Program Integrity
Upholding the consistent and uniform application of BAP standards through education, verification audits, testing and facility support.
Responsible
Adherence to strict social, environmental, and food safety practices both in operations and in relationships with suppliers, customers, and the community.
Safe
The condition of being protected from or unlikely to cause danger or risk. BAP has standards in place that address food-safety issues of drug and chemical management, microbial sanitation, hygiene, harvest and transport. Refer to Program Standards page for details of complete coverage.
Standard
A level of quality deemed to be acceptable. BAP standards are achievable, science-based and continuously improved global performance standards for the aquaculture supply chain that assure healthful foods produced through environmentally and socially responsible means. They are designed to assist program applicants in performing self-assessments of the environmental and social impacts, and food-safety controls of their facilities, and to lead to third-party certification of compliance, thereby eliminating the most significant negative impacts. Refer to Program Standards page for details of complete coverage and the Standards Development Process.
Sustainable
Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. The quality of not being harmful to the environment or depleting natural resources, and thereby supporting long-term ecological balance.
In its strictest interpretation, sustainability is a theoretical state that is almost impossible to achieve, because it implies fully renewable inputs with no wastes or impacts. In practice, sustainability is a journey toward ever improving efficiency and compatibility.
BAP-certified facilities are audited to achievable, science-based and continuously improved global performance standards, addressing mangrove and wetland conservation, effluent management, water quality and sediment control, soil and water conservation, pond sludge management, disposal of farm supplies and wastes, thereby eliminating the most significant negative impacts. Refer to Program Standards page for details of complete coverage.