Increasing demand for sustainable seafood is currently confronted by restricted supply. The availability of sustainable seafood from fisheries is on the decrease, and it is becoming more and more important to structure the rapid growth in aquaculture and to challenge and implement good management practices

AquaGAP assures:

• transparency of origin
• quality at each stage of production
• good aquaculture farming practices, which maintain or improve the health of surrounding ecosystems 
• adherence principles of corporate social responsibility and a commitment towards local communities

The AquaGAP label was developed on customer request, with many retailers taking the decision to only source seafood from certified suppliers from 2010 onwards. Immediate action is required to bring farmers and processors, feed companies as well as hatcheries up to the standard of internationally recognized levels.
The AquaGAP Standard was developed by IMO in cooperation with the Swiss Bio-Foundation. Today it is owned by the Ecocert IMOswiss AG. After many years of consultation with farmers, NGOs, government organizations and other stakeholders, Good Aquaculture Practices can now be certified for all species worldwide. A list of AquaGAP certified companies is available on this website.

The aim is to bring farming practices to an internationally recognized level and ensure consumer trust in quality seafood products. This program is not limited to individual species or specific regions. The AquaGAP logo ensures that quality seafood from all regions can be recognized by importers/retailers and most importantly, the final consumer. Besides the main focus on improving management practices and ensuring the good health of both, the species under production and the surrounding environment, this standard includes aspects of social accountability and food safety. A crucial part of the implementation is complete product traceability, from the farm to the final consumer. Conversion to the use of only quality feed containing fishmeal and fish-oil from recognized sustainable sources, as well as quality larvae/fry from controlled hatcheries must be completed within the first three years of certification.

Contact Ecocert IMOswiss AG for initial information, application procedures and the first evaluation of compliance with these standards. The certification body will guide you through all necessary steps leading to final certification according to the AquaGAP standards. After certification, advertising materials and consumer packages can be proudly presented with the AquaGAP label confirming high quality, sustainable aquaculture.