BAP Logo Use and/or Product Claims Rules for Production Facilities
This policy applies to Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) production facilities (processing plants, farms,
hatcheries and feed mills). It governs the use of the BAP logo on product packaging, or any claims or
representations about BAP certified product whether or not the logo is used.
Policies related to logo usage or claims for marketing purposes are covered in the separate “Logo
Usage and Brand Identity Guidelines for Marketing” document. For marketing uses and claims,
please contact the Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA) Communications Manager Steven
Hedlund at [email protected].
Always reproduce the BAP mark from the approved master electronic artwork. Do not recreate,
manipulate or distort the BAP logo in any way, including positioning it on an angle or adding
shadows or other effects. Also, do not incorporate the BAP mark into the design of any other logo or
artwork.
See “BAP Logo Design Specification” document for design and placement requirements.
A. Obligations of all licensees:
1. Percentage of Certified Seafood Ingredients Rule, And Traceability to the Source – All
products coming from a BAP certified facility, regardless of the type of facility or star status,
cannot be claimed or sold as such or the logo used unless 95% of the seafood ingredient in
the product is derived from aquaculture species eligible for BAP certification. For 2, 3 and 4
star products, or products at a Secondary/Value Added re-processor, all BAP certified
products shall further be traceable to a BAP certified facility or facilities (as appropriate per
star category).
2. Register logo use in advance with BAP and get the design and usages, approved in advance.
([email protected]. (1-352-563-0746).
3. Comply with all usage requirements and design mark specifications
4. The BAP Certification Mark is a registered trademark of the GAA. Misuse may result in legal
action and/or facility decertification.
5. TRADEMARK LANGUAGE: The registered trademark symbol (®) should never be removed
from the BAP mark.
6. Comply with all BAP standards and requirements.
7. Maintain, for certified facilities, certification in good standing.
8. Sign “Certification Mark Agreement” and fill out, “Logo Information Sheet” and return both
to the BAP office.
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9. Production Groups Eligible to Produce 2, 3, or 4 star
Product cannot be claimed or sold as 2, 3 or 4 star, whether the logo is used on product or
not, unless the rules in the standards and stated here are strictly followed.
Use of the BAP logo, or making any BAP claims about certified products, requires
registration with BAP. The logo and any claims associated with BAP are registered
trademarks of the GAA.
Product cannot be called 2, 3 or 4 star unless each facility as below is certified as part of a
registered 2, 3 or 4 star group. Registered as such with BAP and appearing on the
BAP website.
2 Star Example: Product can only be claimed as 2 star from a BAP certified plant with
farmed product that only comes from a BAP certified farm. If for example there are 5 farms
supplying the BAP Certified plant, but only 1 of them is BAP certified, ONLY the product from
that 1 BAP certified farm is allowed to be claimed, represented and sold as BAP 2 star. The
product from the other farms shall be kept separate and cannot be claimed in any way as
BAP 2 star (whether verbally, on documents, or using the BAP logo).
The same principal applies for 3 and 4 star product claims.

1 Star = Product produced by a BAP Certified Plant

2 Star = Product produced by a BAP Certified Plant + BAP Certified Farm(s) only

3 Star = Product produced by a BAP Certified Plant + BAP Certified Farm(s) only +
BAP Certified Hatchery only

4 Star = Product produced by a BAP Certified Plant + BAP Certified Farm(s) only +
BAP Certified Hatchery only + BAP Certified Feed Mill only
10. If anything changes during the year, contact BAP. For logo use, a new “Logo Information
Sheet” shall be filled out and sent in to the BAP office notifying of the changes made.
B. Categories of Use:
1. Marketing materials (including but not limited to websites, brochures, ads, displays,
tradeshow signage etc.) – all facilities including processing plants, farms, hatcheries, and
feed mills. (See “Logo Usage and Brand Identity Guidelines for Marketing”).
2. On product packaging. As defined in this document.
C. Categories of Licensees
1. Primary Processors (receives directly from farms)
2. Secondary value-added processors, and repackers
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i. Must source from a BAP certified processing plant.
ii. Activities:
1. Transforms raw material from a BAP certified plant into value added
products such as portions, breaded, marinated, etc. and/or
2. Takes the BAP certified raw material and reboxes or relabels it
3. Receives BAP Certified product as box-in, box-out, no transformation or
opening of the boxes
iii. Refer to list of certified facilities on BAP website for current status of suppliers.
3. Feed Mills
4. Farms
5. Hatcheries
D. Primary Processor Use on Packaging
Primary processors may use the BAP logo on masters, and/or consumer ready packaging. Categories
of certification include 1, 2, 3 and 4 star as described below.
Once the applicant has completed the BAP certification and has been issued a BAP number
“P12345” the BAP will issue the appropriate BAP logo/logos. There are five (5) logos for primary
processing plants.
1. “P” or One (1) Star – Plant only. Use for BAP aquaculture product processed at the plant.
2. “PF” or Two (2) Star - Plant + Farm. Use for BAP aquaculture products processed at the
plant and the entire production lot is traceable to a BAP certified farm. The farm product
goes directly to BAP facility without being processed or handled at any type of non-BAP
certified facility (ies).
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3. “PFH” or Three (3) Star – Plant + Farm + Hatchery. Use for BAP aquaculture product
processed at the plant and the entire production lot is traceable to a BAP certified farm.
And the product from that BAP certified farm is traceable to a BAP certified hatchery.
4. “PFM” or Three (3) Star - Plant + Farm + Mill. Use for BAP aquaculture product processed
at the plant and the entire production lot is traceable to a BAP certified farm. And, the BAP
farm product is traceable as having been fed feed from a BAP certified feed mill.
5. “PFHM” or Four (4) Star - Plant + Farm + Hatchery + Mill. Use for BAP aquaculture product
processed at the plant and the entire production lot is traceable to a BAP certified farm.
The BAP farm product is traceable to having been fed feed from a BAP certified feed mill.
And, the product from the farm is also traceable to a BAP certified hatchery.
E. Secondary Value-Added Processors and Repackers Use on Packaging.
1. Shall be BAP certified
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2. Shall source from a BAP certified processing plant whose product bears a 1, 2, 3 or 4 star
logo. (See also A. “Obligations of all licensees” item # 1:: Percentage of Certified Seafood
Ingredients Rule and Traceability to the Source)
3. Certification numbers are designated “P” for all types of plants (no more RP designations).
4. Activities include:
a. Taking out of original packaging and reboxing and relabeling
b. Relabeling
c. Taking out of original packaging and processing/transforming into value-added products
such as breaded, portioned, marinated, etc.
d. Does not open box or relabel. Storage only. Strictly box-in, box-out.
5. May use the 1 star logo for any product sourced from a BAP certified plant
6. When buying BAP 1 star from a BAP plant, may only claim 1 star (2 star is only for plant +
farm)
7. BAP certified secondary processors and repackers are no longer restricted to 1 star only as
in the past. Such facilities may maintain the 2, 3 or 4 star status of product they receive
already labeled as such. Preservation of star designations is dependent upon the secondary
processor or repacker maintaining strict controls at all times. Including but not limited to
the following:
a. Product received from the BAP certified source plant is 2, 3 or 4 star.
b. The secondary/value-added plant is strictly box-in, box-out and does not re-process, relabel, or in any way open the box or transform the product or packaging. (“3 d” above)
c. The secondary value-added plant engages in activities defined in 3 a, b, and/or c above,
and:
i.
Has a rigorous Supplier approval and monitoring system that verified
the BAP 2, 3, or 4 star product it is receiving is in fact, BAP 2, 3 or 4 star
ii.
Has a full and rigorous traceability system that is tested, that verifies the
BAP 2, 3 or 4 star product it is receiving is in fact, BAP 2, 3 or 4 star.
(Including verification that the farm, hatchery and feed mill sources, as
appropriate, are actually BAP certified)
iii.
Has a rigorous traceability system that verified that the BAP product
was received directly from the BAP certified plant and was not handled
or transformed by any other entity in between.
iv.
Has rigorous receiving, production, handling and storage procedures
and documentary systems that ensures that, at no point while the
secondary plant is opening the boxes or processing the product, that
any non-BAP is mixed in with BAP. Or that any 1 star is mixed with 2, 2
with 3, or 3 with 4.
v.
Has a rigorous label control policy that ensures BAP product is not
mixed or mislabeled.
vi.
Where there is any doubt the facility must “downgrade” product to 1
star
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vii.
viii.
The product cannot bear the primary plant’s certification number or
name on the product or on the logo.
Violations of logo use or indications of co-mingling during BAP scheme
verification activities or the third party CB audit will result in the facility
only being allowed to claim 1 star. Certification status may also be
suspended or revoked.
Note:



The hatchery and feed mill star MAY NOT be used unless there is a
certified farm involved
The “Logo Information Sheet” must be filled out and sent in quarterly if
the plant wants to use the multiple facility logos
ANY break in the traceability/Chain of Custody at any point means the
product cannot bear the BAP logo
Example:
BAP Certified farm product goes directly to a BAP certified plant that packs and labels
the product as 2 star
The product is shipped to a BAP certified secondary/reprocessing/repacking plant where
the product is either reboxed, relabeled, or reprocessed/transformed.
If the secondary reprocessor/repacker is able to verify at all points prior to receipt, and
during handling at its own facility, that the BAP product was not mixed with non-BAP, or
BAP 1 star at any point, they can claim 2 star.
If the secondary reprocessor/repacker is unable to clearly verify the product is truly 2
star at any point, they can only claim 1 star.
F. Feed Mills
Feed packaging – feed mills - Feed mills may use the feed mill logo provided on feed bags.
They must submit a copy of the feed bag with the logo and feed mill number on it to the BAP
office for approval before use.
G. Farms Shipping Fresh Product Directly to a Retailer
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BAP certified farms that ship directly to a retailer may use the BAP logo on bulk packaging under the
following conditions:
1. The product is packed on ice in bulk packaging (e.g. wet lock boxes, styrofoam cartons, etc)
2. The product is shipped DIRECTLY to the retailer (restaurant, grocery store, fresh fish market)
with NO facility of any kind, in between. (No processing plant, storage facility, distributor,
broker, etc).
3. The product is either shipped directly in its whole state, or is partially transformed at the
farm (deheaded, gutted, gilled, bled). If any transformation occurs at a processing facility,
that facility has to be BAP certified.
Where the above conditions are met, the farm may use the BAP logo on the bulk packaging as
follows:
Bulk Logo Use by the Farm
The following logo can be used on bulk packaging and, when used, shall be a minimum of 2 inches in
width.
Retailer Receipt and Advertising of Bulk Farm Direct Shipments
(NOTE: retailer marketing claims and logo use are discussed in a separate document
entitled “Logo Usage & Brand Identity Requirements - Retailers & Foodservice
Operators”. Please contact the GAA Communications Manager Steven Hedlund at
[email protected].)
Where a restaurant, grocery store, or fresh fish market receives product directly from a BAP
certified farm with no entity in between, the retailer may advertise the BAP product only under
the following conditions:
1. Containers are shipped directly from the farm to the retailer. They have not passed
through anyone else on their way from the farm
2. Containers are sealed, show no signs of tampering, and have the appropriate
labeling/identifications on them. Including the BAP logo shown above with the farm
certification number.
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3. The retailer has checked the BAP website to verify that the farm is currently BAP
certified.
4. The retailer may use signage only that has been approved by BAP in advance, that
advertises that they carry BAP product when available. The species shall not be
identified on the signage.
5. The retailer may NOT put signs, ice picks, or logos next to fish in a fresh fish counter.
Once the packaging from the BAP certified farm has been removed, all traceability
identification has been lost. Therefore BAP does not permit species-specific or
individual product identification or signage in the fish counter itself.
H. Hatcheries Shipping Directly to Farms
BAP certified hatcheries may wish to use the BAP logo when shipping PLs directly to farms for the
purposes of marketing. In such cases they may use the BAP logo on bulk containers under the
following conditions:
1. The product is packed in bulk containers that are properly sealed and labeled.
2. The product is shipped DIRECTLY to the farm with NO facility of any kind, in between.
(No storage facility, distributor, broker, etc).
Where the above conditions are met, the hatchery may use the BAP logo on the bulk containers as
follows:
Bulk Logo Use by the Hatchery
The following logo is the same as that used by direct-shipping farms. They can be used on bulk
packaging and, when used, shall be a minimum of 2 inches in width.
I.
Present Logo for Packaging Use for Approval
As stated in Section A, all facilities must register their logo use and designs for approval in
advance. The facility shall provide a physical or electronic copy of each package or sticker design
(including length and width dimensions) with the BAP mark to the BAP office for approval.
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