Table of Contents

  • This report considers the growing trend in information requirements for seafood products in general with a focus on the distinct sustainability features of wild capture fisheries and aquaculture. Concerns about sustainability and the effectiveness of fisheries management have resulted in demand from NGOs, retailers and consumers for assurances that the food they purchase has been sustainably produced. This has led to the development and implementation of a number of primarily private initiatives that have established eco-labels and certification schemes that claim to provide credible information to the consumer.

  • Concerns about sustainability and the effectiveness of fisheries management on the part of the public have resulted in demand from NGOs, retailers and consumers for assurances that the food they purchase has been sustainably produced. This has led to a number of private entities responding to this demand by establishing eco-labels and certification schemes that claim to provide credible information to the consumer. These labels intend to serve the interest of fishers and processors who need to transmit positive information to the consumer to maintain their markets, and serve consumers by providing information not elsewhere available.

  • The introductory chapter provides an overview of the OECD Committee for Fisheries approach to studying fisheries and aquaculture certification. The chapter also highlights the organising framework and establishes the distinction between publicly and privately run certification schemes. Finally, key concepts of certification as used in the study as a whole are outlined.

  • This chapter outlines the theoretical foundations of certification and eco-labelling in fisheries and aquaculture. The chapter furthermore discusses the recent increase in the use of certification schemes in fisheries and aquaculture, discusses the points of view of the consumers, retailers, processors and fishers. Who are the key stakeholders in the market for certification? How do they influence the market for certification schemes? These are key questions that are examined in this chapter. The costs and benefits of the stakeholder groups with respect to certification are outlined as this will influence the incentives, or disincentives, to use certification. Another key issue addressed is the role of public authorities in the market for certification.

  • This chapter focuses on private eco-labelling, outlining the incentive structure of the different stakeholders in the market for certification and describing the factors that influence these relationships. The role for public participation is a central issue due to the overlap of public and private objectives. Some countries take the view that private eco-labels are of little relevance to policy and so should remain within the sphere of consumer choice in the marketplace. Others find that labels can assist domestic fishing industries that face marketing problems and would like to ensure that any such benefit is maximised. Where public objectives and that of the private labels differ, influencing the content and operation of an eco-labelling scheme can increase public benefits. Ideally, governments will take advantage of any positive interaction between the private and the public to further their sustainability agendas. Market requirements like private eco-labelling are becoming increasingly an issue for producers in developing countries. Hence, this chapter also provides a summary of the ongoing discussions on private certification and policy coherence for development, in particular with regard to market access.

  • This chapter outlines the key messages to policy makers with respect to the use of certification and labels in fisheries and aquaculture as developed in the study. Presently, around 13% of new fish products are marketed in association with some type of environmental claim. In some markets for some species, certification has become a de-facto requirement, and retailers are increasingly using them as part of their corporate social responsibility initiatives. Despite this, the evidence regarding the effectiveness of certification schemes in changing behaviour is unclear. It is also noted that consumers find themselves confused with the many labels and certification schemes that are in action on fisheries and aquaculture.