Understanding Sustainability in the Fish and Seafood Industry and the Related Certification Schemes and Consumer Guides

Understanding
Sustainability in the
Fish and Seafood
Industry and the
Related Certification
Schemes and
Consumer Guides
31 May 2016
ASEAN SIAL 2016
World Trade Center

2
OBJECTIVES
 Revisit the importance of sustainability in the fish and
seafood industry
 Gain an appreciation of the various sustainability schemes
 Look at the role of retailers in driving sustainability and
identify other factors that affect sustainability in the
seafood industry

3
THE STATE OF WORLD FISHERIES AND
AQUACULTURE
 “People have never consumed so much fish or depended
so greatly on the sector for their well-being as they do
today”
Source: FAO State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture, 2014

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AQUACULTURE
 Fish consumption also continues to rise

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AQUACULTURE
 10 to 12% of the world’s population depends on fishing
and aquaculture as their livelihood (est. 60 million people)

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AQUACULTURE
 Fish is among the world’s most traded food commodities.
Worth almost USD 130 billion in 2012

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AQUACULTURE
 18 countries account for
more than 76% of global
marine catches.
 Eleven of which are in Asia
 Philippines is one of them

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AQUACULTURE
 Share of aquaculture continues in total fish production continues to grow.

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AQUACULTURE
 Philippines
is one of
the top 15
farmed fish
producers
in the world

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AQUACULTURE
 In terms of fish stock, 71% of the commercially important
marine fish stocks monitored by FAO are fished within
biologically sustainable levels (in 2011)

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AQUACULTURE
 An estimated 1.3 billion tonnes of food are lost per year --
to about one-third of all food produced.
 In small-scale fisheries, quality losses are often far more
significant than physical losses.
 The report also notes that illegal, unreported and
unregulated (IUU) fishing remains a major threat to marine
ecosystems and also impacts negatively on livelihoods,
local economies and food supplies.
 Food chain traceability is increasingly a requirement in
major fish markets, especially in the wake of recent
scandals involving the mislabelling of food products

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DEFINING SUSTAINABILITY IN THE SEAFOOD
INDUSTRY
Defined By: Definition of “Sustainability”
Government Development that meets the needs of the present
without compromising the ability of future generations
to meet their own needs. (UNCLOS, 1982)
Seafood Certification
Scheme
Involves the main certification organization establishing
the criteria for certification (the standard), and
independent accredited ‘certifying bodies’ (CBs)
conducting the assessments against the criteria.
Seafood Consumer Guides While not specifically trying to define ‘sustainability’ the
guides instead communicate through a traffic light
system (i.e. red/avoid, yellow/consider, green/buy) in
order to influence consumer behavior. This in turn is
aimed at promoting ‘best choice’ consumer purchases
and as a result improve the sustainability of the ocean
environment.

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ORGANIZATIONS INVOLVED IN SEAFOOD
SUSTAINABILITY SCHEMES

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KEY DEVELOPMENTS TO BOOST
SUSTAINABILITY

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KEY DEVELOPMENTS TO BOOST
SUSTAINABILITY
 Comprehensive National Fisheries Industry Development
Plan (Medium Term 2016 – 2020)

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GOVERNMENT ADVISORY BODIES
Food and Agriculture
Organisation (FAO) of The
United Nations
The FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture
Department is the principal repository of
global fishery statistics and a recognized
authority on fisheries and aquaculture.
Food and Agriculture
Organisation (FAO) of The
United Nation - FISHCODE
Programme
The FAO, through an Interregional Assistance
Programme and as a special programme of
Global Partnerships for Responsible
Fisheries, established the FishCode
Programme and the FishCode Trust. The
combined activities of the Trust Fund and
Regular Programme, allow FishCode to utilise
the FAO’s multidisciplinary technical
knowledge to ensure the CCRF has the best
possible chance of successful implementation
in developing countries.

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European Commision:
Directorate - General for
Maritime Affairs and Fisheries
(DG MARE)
DG MARE is responsible for the
implementation of the Common Fisheries
Policy (CFP). The CFP aims to preserve
traditional fishing patterns, promote
conservation, control market measures and
structural actions, and improve international
relations relating to fisheries.
National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA)
The NOAA is the federal agency responsible
for the stewardship of offshore living marine
resources and habitats in the USA, and the
integration and coordination of aquaculture
policies, research and compliance with
international obligations.

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Regional Fishery Bodies
(RFBs) & Regional Fisheries
Management & Organisations
(RFMOs)
RFBs & RFMOs manage fish stocks across
areas within and beyond national jurisdictions.
Their mandate and scope is at the discretion
of member States and actions can include:
the collection, analysis and dissemination of
information and data; coordinating fisheries
management through joint schemes and
mechanisms; serving as a technical and
policy forum; and taking decisions relating to
the conservation, management, development
and responsible use of resources.

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International Social
Environmental Accreditation &
Labelling (ISEAL) Alliance
The ISEAL Alliance works with companies,
nonprofit and governments around the world
offering guidance on the effectiveness and
impact of voluntary standards systems.
United Nations General
Assembly Resolution on
Sustainable Fisheries
The UN General Assembly Resolution
UNGA 61/105 aims to protect vulnerable
marine ecosystems from bottom fishing
activities in the high seas.

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INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS
ORGANIZATIONS
The Global Aquaculture
Alliance (GAA)
GAA is a non-profit NGO, established in 1997,
which encourages environmentally
responsible aquaculture practises and works
to promote effective, coordinated regulatory
and trade policies.
The Marine Stewardship
Council (MSC)
MSC, an independent nonprofit NGO founded
in 1997, aims to contribute to the health of the
world’s oceans by recognizing and rewarding
sustainable fishing practices. MSC offers two
standards for fisheries and seafood
businesses: the MSC Fishery standard and
the MSC Chain of Custody standard.

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ORGANIZATIONS
Friend of the Sea Founded in 2006, Friend of the Sea is a non-
profit NGO that manages the International
Friend of the Sea scheme. The scheme
provides for the certification of products from
sustainable fisheries and aquaculture by
independent, international certification bodies.
Aquaculture Stewardship
Council (ASC)
Founded in 2009 by the World Wildlife
Fund and IDH (Dutch Sustainable
Trade Initiative), ASC is an independent
nonprofit organisation that is working
with aquaculture producers, seafood
processors, retail and food service
companies, scientists, conservation
groups and the public to promote best
environmental and social practices for
aquaculture.

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ORGANIZATIONS
The Global Partnership For
Good Agricultural Practice
(GLOBALG.A.P.)
GLOBALG.A.P. acts as a private sector
body that sets voluntary standards for
the certification of production processes
for agriculture and aquaculture products
worldwide.

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CONSUMER GUIDES
World Wildlife Fund (WWF) WWF works with stakeholders worldwide to
develop ecolabel systems for sustainable,
wild-caught and farmed seafood.
Monterey Bay Aquarium –
SEAFOOD WATCH
The Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch
program encourages consumers and
businesses to purchase fished or farmed
seafood from sustainable and environmentally
friendly sources.
National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA) – FISHWATCH
Fishwatch is a critical element of the NOAA’s
mission to provide consumers with the most
comprehensive data regarding the state of
fisheries across the USA.
Australian Marine
Conservation Society –
Australia’s Sustainable
Seafood Guide
The Australian Marine Conservation Society is
a not-for-profit organisation focusing on the
creation and protection of large marine
national parks and sustainable fisheries
across Australia.

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CONSUMER GUIDES
Australian Marine
Conservation Society –
Australia’s Sustainable
Seafood Guide
The Australian Marine Conservation Society is
a not-for-profit organisation focusing on the
creation and protection of large marine
national parks and sustainable fisheries
across Australia.

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THE RETAILER ‘PUSH’ EFFECT ON
SUSTAINABILITY
 “Retailers have the power to bring about enormous
positive change in our oceans. The buying power that
these companies can leverage is strong enough to rebuild
depleted stocks, create protective measures for vulnerable
habitat areas, and promote smart, strong fishery
management across the globe.”

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THE RETAILER ‘PUSH’ EFFECT ON
SUSTAINABILITY
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/07/14/3680277/sustainable-seafood-greenpeace-report/

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OTHER FACTORS AFFECTING SUSTAINABILITY
IN THE SEAFOOD INDUSTRY
 It should also be noted that the sustainability of fisheries is
not only affected by fishing and aquaculture practices but
also subject to over arching environmental and social
concerns as well.
 The two major environmental concerns facing the seafood
industry are the increase in greenhouse gases (GHGs) in
the atmosphere, and the amount of waste in the seafood
life cycle.
 Potential issues affecting fisheries due to the increased
level of GHGs in the atmosphere include rising average
ocean temperature, decreasing salinity and increasing
acidity.

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 Finding a way to reduce our GHG impact is an important
long-term step for the sustainability of the current balance
of marine life.
 Another important factor is the estimated 7.3 million tonnes
(reaching as high as 30 million tonnes in some research
figures) of seafood waste that is dumped back into the
oceans globally.

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 Social concerns are often overlooked in the definition of
‘sustainability’; however, there is a need, and a
responsibility, for the seafood industry to focus on the
estimated 35 million or more people who rely on fishing or
fish farming as a full-time (i.e. someone who receives 90%
or more of their livelihood from fishing) occupation.
 It has been reported that working conditions in some
regions are far from satisfactory and exploit the situation
these fishers find themselves in. According to FAO
estimates, almost 20% of them earn less than $1 a day.

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