Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) – Climate Action and Sourcing Vanguard Standard – in development

What is it?

Currently in development after a period of public comment, the GSA Climate Action and Sourcing Vanguard Standard is part of the GSA Vanguard Program – an initiative under the Global Seafood Alliance to recognize and incentivize promising advances and leading-edge innovations. 

The CAS Vanguard Standard is a Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) certification standard applicable to feed mills, farms and seafood processing facilities, and was developed to address the wider footprint of farmed seafood, particularly its carbon footprint and other impacts associated with the production of feed ingredients.

It requires responsible sourcing of marine and plant-based ingredients including ingredients from fish processing by-products, certified sources, and plant-based ingredients that are deforestation and conversion-free (DCF).

In addition, facilities must demonstrate a decrease in their carbon footprint over time by reporting on data relative to greenhouse gas emissions, energy source selection and consumption, water use, and more.

Feed mills, farms, and processing plants must first be BAP-certified to participate.

The standard for feed mills covers the responsible sourcing of fishmeal and oil, soy, and ALL other ingredients.

Its principal features relate to controlling the environmental impact of ingredient production, in particular: 

• Marine ingredients, including byproducts from fisheries – must be 100% certified, and responsibly sourced;
• Soy-based ingredients – must be 100% certified, responsibly sourced, deforestation-free; and,
• For all other ingredients for which inclusion rates exceed 1% of total feed by weight, the feed manufacturer shall provide evidence of responsible sourcing – demonstrated by various means, including but not limited to, a detailed procurement strategy for terrestrial, crop-derived ingredients addressing their DCF (deforestation and conversion free) status, adherence to certifications, and quantification and reporting of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) data that demonstrate a declining environmental footprint over time.

For each manufactured feed product claiming compliance with this Vanguard Standard, LCA data shall be reported, including: 

• Carbon Footprint (GHG emissions kg CO2 eq per metric tonne);
• Water Use (freshwater m3 world eq per metric tonne);
• Eutrophication, freshwater (kg P eq per metric tonne);
• Eutrophication, marine (kg N eq per metric ton); and
• Eutrophication, terrestrial (mol N eq per metric tonne).