AuguryShoppers Say They Trust the ‘BAP’ Seafood Mark — Global Seafood Alliance Plans a Big 2026 Push
This article was written by the Augury Times
Two-thirds of shoppers express trust in the BAP seal, and a 2026 push is coming
The Global Seafood Alliance is out with a simple message: most shoppers who know the Best Aquaculture Practices, or BAP, label trust it — and now the alliance plans a major consumer campaign in 2026 to make that trust matter in stores.
In a release that summarized a GlobeScan survey, the group said about two-thirds of respondents who were familiar with the BAP mark said they trust it. The claim is the headline: the alliance wants to move from trust in a label to clearer influence on what people buy. To that end, it announced a consumer-focused campaign for 2026 designed to raise awareness and encourage retailers and brands to point shoppers toward certified seafood.
How the GlobeScan survey was described and what it didn’t show
According to the announcement, GlobeScan ran the research across five countries and targeted adult consumers. The release gave a summary of the methods but did not publish the full dataset or a complete questionnaire in the announcement.
That means the PR provides a useful top-line number — the two-thirds trust figure — but leaves some standard questions unanswered in public: precise sample sizes per country, the exact list of markets surveyed, how ‘trust’ was measured in the questions and whether results were weighted to reflect national populations. The alliance and GlobeScan framed the study as indicative, not definitive, which is typical for a PR summary meant for a broad audience.
Looking beyond the headline: what the survey says about who trusts BAP
The release suggests trust in the BAP label is not uniform. It notes variation across markets and among different consumer groups, though it did not publish full country-by-country tables in the announcement. In other words, while the overall figure is roughly two-thirds, that average hides stronger trust in some places and weaker trust in others.
The summary also pointed to ties between awareness and trust: people who had already heard of BAP were more likely to say they trusted it. The release flagged that awareness remains lower than trust — many consumers who trust a label simply haven’t seen it often in stores. That gap is the precise problem the alliance hopes to close with its 2026 effort.
What this could mean for brands, stores and certifiers
For seafood brands and retailers, a trusted label is an asset. If shoppers see BAP and believe it means responsible farming and safe supply chains, companies can use it to differentiate products in a crowded seafood aisle. Retailers, in turn, could use the mark to curate private-label lines or to promote sustainably farmed options.
Certification bodies and the Global Seafood Alliance benefit too: higher consumer trust can strengthen the value of certification fees and encourage more farms and processors to seek certification. But there’s a catch. Trust matters only when consumers notice the label and let it guide choices. If awareness stays low, the label’s value for sales and brand reputation will remain limited.
There is also a reputational risk. As sustainability labels multiply, consumers can get confused or skeptical. If a future incident implicates a certified supply chain, that trust could evaporate quickly and damage both the certifier and companies that rely on the mark in marketing.
The 2026 push: goals, audiences and what success will look like
The alliance says the campaign will focus on building consumer awareness in key markets and on supporting retailers and brands that carry BAP-certified products. The announcement mentioned multi-channel activity — from in-store materials to online messaging — aimed at turning passive trust into active recognition and, ultimately, purchase decisions.
Success metrics flagged in the release include higher unaided awareness of the BAP mark and improved self-reported purchase intent when shoppers see the label. The alliance also said it will work with trade partners to measure shelf placement and promotions as part of campaign reporting.
Why to treat the findings with cautious interest — and what to watch
The GlobeScan numbers give the Global Seafood Alliance a clear headline to sell: a trusted label is worth marketing. But the data come via a PR summary, not from a full academic paper, so take the specifics with caution. Watch next year for independent reports of campaign reach, raw survey tables from GlobeScan if they’re released, and any retailer pilot programs that highlight how awareness translates into real sales.
If the alliance can raise awareness without diluting the label’s standards, the BAP mark may become a more powerful tool in the grocery aisle. If awareness rises but meaning gets lost among competing claims, the label’s current trust could prove fragile.
Photo: Engin Akyurt / Pexels
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