Public Comment For BAP Salmon Farm Standards Extended to Jan. 20

The public comment period for the new Best Aquaculture Practices certification standards for salmon farms has been extended to Jan. 20. To participate, go to www.gaalliance.org/bap/comments.php, review the draft standards and guidelines document and return comments via the online form, reports www.megafishnet.com with reference to Global Aquaculture Alliance.

Comments can also be sent via e-mail or fax to BAP Standards Coordinator Daniel Lee (dangaelle@aol.com, +44-1248-716729) or Technical Committee Chairman John Forster (salmonbap@gaalliance.org). All properly submitted comments will be acknowledged.

"Several groups have contacted us to request additional time to return their comments," Global Aquaculture Alliance President George Chamberlain said. "GAA wants to be sure that everyone is heard, since the comments we receive will lead to improved aquaculture practices everywhere salmon are raised."

The BAP salmon standards were developed under the guidance of the Standards Oversight Committee of the Global Aquaculture Alliance, the leading standards-setting organization for farmed seafood.

John Forster, chairman of the BAP Salmon Farm Technical Committee that wrote the draft standards, said GAA expects to collect general information as well as input on several specific aspects of the standards through the comment process.

"What metrics should be used to evaluate escapes," Forster asked. "And since sea lice challenges vary so greatly by species of fish, region and season, would recognition of localized lice control guidelines within area management agreements work better than global BAP-defined values?"

The new BAP standards will apply to cage and net pen production of salmon and rainbow trout. In addition to social and environmental responsibility, they address animal health and welfare, food safety and traceability. The standards encourage cooperation among neighboring farms and require controlled use of chemical treatments and monitoring of feed ingredients from marine sources.