GAA: Certification bodies may grant audit extensions on case-by-case basis
Datetime：2020-03-19
The Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA) is working closely with the certification bodies (CBs) that conduct Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) audits on a weekly basis to carefully evaluate the circumstance of each processing plant, farm, hatchery or feed mill and decide how to best continue the certification process, it has said.
Following established accreditation, certification and benchmarking guidelines, the BAP team and CBs have agreed on a set of rules to follow during the virus situation, including guidelines for the movement and conduct of auditors when visiting BAP-certified facilities. These guidelines include:
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Traveling responsibly to protect themselves and everyone around them along the way
Maintaining distancing, protective gear and sanitization regularly while conducting the audit.
The BAP meets with CBs weekly to focus on re-certifying facilities that are nearing their due dates for their annual audits to discuss any travel restrictions that may, on a case-by-case basis, require a certificate extension, it said. The reasons for a certificate extension may include:
“It is important to remember that, while BAP administers the certification process, the CBs make the certification decision and issue the BAP certificates, therefore this coordination is required to grant extensions on a case-by-case basis.”
Previously, extensions only applied to facilities in China.
News Source: UCN
GAA Booth Number: W3A020 at WorldSeafood Shanghai 2020
