| Shrimp Farm Certification |
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| The following standards comprise the core of the BAP certification program. Developed and copyrighted by the Global Aquaculture Alliance, these Best Aquaculture Practices standards and guidelines reflect program points in four primary areas: Community, Environment, Food Safety and Traceability. |
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| To be certified by Aquaculture Certification Council, Inc., applicants shall comply with all (100%) of the critical inspection requirements on the Certification Application Form (9 pages in Microsoft Excel format), score at least 70% (52 of 75 points) on the scored inspection requirements and maintain specified production records for traceability for at least three months. After five years, certified facilities shall comply with all critical requirements and score 80% or better on the scored requirements. |
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| For a further explanation of the BAP standards, including several sample forms and worksheets, click the "Guidelines" links that follow each standard or download the full Guidelines below. The word "shall" is used throughout to indicate mandatory provisions. For further information, please refer to the additional resources listed within the Guidelines. |
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Full Guidelines for Standards
 15 pages in PDF format. If needed,
download free Adobe Acrobat software: |
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| Community |
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1. Property Rights and Regulatory Compliance
Farms shall comply with local and national laws and environmental regulations, and provide current documentation that demonstrates legal rights for land use, water use, construction and operation. |
| Guidelines – 1 |
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2. Community Relations
Farms shall not deny local communities access to public mangrove areas, fishing grounds or other public resources. |
| Guidelines – 2 |
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3. Worker Safety and Employee Relations
Farms shall comply with local and national labor laws to assure adequate worker safety, compensation and living conditions at the facility.
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| Guidelines – 3 |
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| Environment |
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4. Mangrove Conservation and Biodiversity Protection
Shrimp farms shall not be located in mangrove areas, seagrass beds or other coastal wetlands. Farm operations shall not damage wetlands or reduce the biodiversity of coastal ecosystems. Mangroves removed for allowable purposes shall be replaced by replanting an area three times as large.
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| Guidelines – 4 |
5. Effluent Management
Farms shall monitor effluents at the frequency specified to confirm that water quality complies with BAP criteria*. Water quality measurements taken during certification inspection shall meet both BAP criteria and those of applicable government permits. Farms shall comply with BAP's final criteria within five years. |
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Variable (units-frequency)
ph (standard units - M)
Total suspended solids (mg/L - Q)
Soluble phosphorus (mg/L - M)
Total ammonia nitrogen (mg/L - M)
5-day bio. oxygen demand (mg/L - Q)
Dissolved oxygen (mg/L - M)
Salinity
Water with less than 1 ppt salinity, specific con-
ductance below 1,500 µmhos/cm or chloride less
than 550 mg/L is considered fresh.
M = monthly, Q = quarterly
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Initial
Value
6.0-9.5
100 or less
0.5 or less
5 or less
50 or less
4 or more
No discharge above
800 mg/L chloride
into freshwater
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Final
Value
6.0-9.0
50 or less
0.3 or less
3 or less
30 or less
5 or more
No discharge above
550 mg/L chloride
into freshwater
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| * Limited Option: The source water for aquaculture farms can have higher concentrations of water quality variables than allowed by the initial criteria. In these cases, demonstration that the variable concentrations do not increase (or decrease for dissolved oxygen) between the source water and farm effluent is an acceptable alternative to compliance with the criteria. This option does not apply to chloride. |
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| After the first year of effluent monitoring, ACC will use data provided by facilities' application forms to calculate an annual water use index and annual load indices for total suspended solids, soluble phosphorus, total ammonia nitrogen and five-day biochemical oxygen demand. |
| Guidelines – 5 |
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6. Sediment Management
Farms shall contain sediment from ponds, canals and settling basins and not cause salinization or other ecological nuisance in surrounding land and water. |
| Guidelines – 6 |
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7. Soil/Water Conservation
Farm construction and operations shall not cause soil and water salinization or depletion of ground water in surrounding areas. |
| Guidelines – 7 |
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8. Postlarvae Sources
Certified farms shall not use wild postlarvae and shall comply with governmental regulations regarding the importation of native and non-native shrimp seedstock. |
| Guidelines – 8 |
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9. Storage and Disposal of Farm Supplies
Fuel, lubricants and agricultural chemicals shall be stored and disposed of in a safe and responsible manner. Paper and plastic refuse shall be disposed of in a sanitary and responsible way. |
| Guidelines – 9 |
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| Food Safety |
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10. Drug and Chemical Management
Banned antibiotics, drugs and other chemical compounds shall not be used. Other therapeutic agents shall be used as directed on product labels for control of diagnosed diseases or required pond management, not prophylactic purposes. Shrimp shall be periodically monitored for residues of suspect pesticides, PCBs and heavy metals that are confirmed in the vicinity. |
| Guidelines – 10 |
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11. Microbial Sanitation
Human waste and untreated animal manure shall be excluded from shrimp growout ponds. Domestic sewage shall be treated and not contaminate surrounding areas.
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| Guidelines – 11 |
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12. Harvest and Transport
Shrimp shall be harvested and transported in a manner that maintains temperature control and minimizes physical damage and contamination. Shrimp treated with sulfites or other allergens shall be labeled accordingly.
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| Guidelines – 12 |
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| Traceability |
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Record-Keeping Requirement
To establish product traceability, the following information shall be recorded for each pond and each production cycle: |
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· pond identification number
· pond area
· stocking date
· postlarvae quantity stocked
· postlarvae source (hatchery)
· antibiotic and drug use
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· herbicide, algicide, other pesticide use
· manufacturer and lot number
for each feed used
· harvest date
· harvest quantity
· sulfite use and protocol
· processing plant or purchaser.
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| Guidelines – Traceability |
