Under the guidance of the Standards Oversight Committee of the Global Aquaculture Alliance the drafts of the new Best Aquaculture Practices standards for Pangasius farms were developed. Now GAA seeks public comments to apply these standards. It is informed that the new BAP standards apply only to facilities that raise Pangasius in ponds. The Best Aquaculture Practices certification program has separate standards for channel catfish farms.
GAA said that two draft documents — the standards/guidelines and accompanying audit form — are provided online in PDF format. The first file outlines the standards, as well as the reasons for their requirements and how best to comply with the standards. The draft audit form indicates how auditors will review Pangasius farms for compliance with the BAP standards.
Apart from social and environmental responsibility, the Pangasius farm standards also encompass food safety and traceability. It is told that there will be audit questions address biodiversity protection and quantify water quality in pond effluents. They also require controlled use of chemical treatments and monitoring of feed ingredients from marine sources. The Standards Oversight Committee (SOC) recently approved the release of the new standards for public comment after reviewing an initial draft submitted by the Pangasius Farm Technical Committee.
Public comments will be evaluating and then the technical committee will consider changes to the standards and forward a revised document to the SOC for further approval. All properly submitted comments will be acknowledged.
