According to a media report GLOBALG.A.P. presents expanded opportunities for aquaculture operations to apply for certification. It is new revised Version 4. For the Aquaculture Scope, a 4-year intensive revision work has led to a standard that provides any aquaculture operation worldwide the opportunity to demonstrate good aquaculture practices across major categories, e.g. any finfish, crustacean or mollusk farming activity can now apply for GLOBALG.A.P Aquaculture Certification.
The report states that Aquaculture Version 4 is product of public consultations with more than 500 comments received from stakeholders representing 116 organizations worldwide. Food safety, is a main priority, with key criteria also identified for environmental (biodiversity inclusive) measures with animal welfare and workers welfare also given important consideration. Traceabilty is another important component covering all stages from broodstock, seedlings, on-grown farm and post harvest handling operations.
GLOBALG.A.P pre-farm gate standards for Crops, Livestock and Aquaculture are Global Food Safety Initiative – GFSI recognized. For the aquaculture scope, this is unique in receiving this recognition worldwide FAO Guidelines on Aquaculture Certification, since the initial drafts up to the recently launched version in 2011 were referenced with the GLOBALG.A.P Aquaculture revision for Version 4.
The GLOBALG.A.P System offers to the already established pre-farm gate schemes the opportunity to be recognized and follow a globally harmonized tract through the benchmarking procedure, with the aim to make certification at farm level as efficient and cost effective as possible.
