CATCH CERTIFICATION AND ECO-LABELLING

Submission by FAO to the Second Tracefish Conference.

The FAO Committee on Fisheries (COFI) has discussed the issue of catch certification over a number of years, since the issue was first raised by the formation of the Marine Stewardship Council. Many of the member countries of FAO were very opposed to the objectives of such "ecolabelling" in that it involved a self-appointed private company influencing the seafood consumer on environmental/ecological issues without any means of appeal or redress by the fishing industries or governments. Nevertheless, other member countries felt that the process was market driven and that eventually the seafood consumer would dictate the progress of events. The wording of the COFI Report in February, 2001 reflects this continuing concern in the following manner.

"50. The Committee were informed of eco-labelling schemes in some countries, such as in the Nordic countries and Japan. An exchange of views on eco-labelling showed it was a growing and important issue that might lead to serious concerns among the parties involved. Some members expressed their deep concern that a private initiative such as this could become an additional barrier to trade especially if it were not based on scientific and objective criteria. However, there were diverse views on this matter and no mandate was given for convening a second technical consultation. The Committee agreed that the Secretariat should continue to monitor developments in this field and inform the membership through relevant technical publications in order to develop criteria to guide member countries."

On the other hand COFI were particularly supportive when it came to a similar type of activity when it was carried out by Government and industry

"51. It was agreed that the agenda for the Eighth Session of the COFI Sub-Committee on Fish Trade should also include an item on the feasibility and practicality of harmonising catch certification used by some regional fisheries management bodies. It was pointed out that, with the aim to prepare suitable recommendations to the Sub-Committee, this issue should be considered by an expert consultation in conjunction with the regional fisheries bodies concerned and taking into account the objectives of these certification schemes. Some Members expressed the view that when any recommendation was developed, it should not result in greater costs for countries or their industries."

It is clear that COFI differentiates between "eco-labelling" and "catch certification". Eco-labelling is seen as an environmental/ecological measure conducted and supported by private organisations without any vested interest in the industry. Catch certification is seen as an activity of a similar nature but implemented by the industry, governments and/or Regional Fisheries Management Bodies of which there are 45 world-wide dealing with marine fisheries. In general, catch certification and traceability of fishery products are driven by consumer safety and the desire to provide good management for sustainable fisheries. One might add another difference. Eco-labelling is mainly dependent on value judgements, whereas catch certification is based on factual data. Even in cases where the distinction between eco-labelling and catch certification might be considered unclear, for instance in the AIDCP Dolphin Safe Tuna Certification Scheme, the distinction between what is considered Dolphin Safe Tuna and other Tuna is readily available in a quantitative measurement and should be considered as catch certification and not as eco-labelling.

The FAO Secretariat therefore welcomes the activities of Tracefish as an activity of catch certification rather than one of eco-labelling, and sees its activities as complementary to the activities which FAO is presently undertaking. Tracefish is clearly concentrating on the shore side activity with the processing and marketing chain and extending that chain back into the catching sector, whereas the activities of FAO, at present, are more limited to the catch certification provided by the vessels to the regional fisheries management bodies. In the future, we would see the FAO role in catch certification as disseminating the practices and methodologies developed by Tracefish to the developing countries of the world.

The important contribution of seafood exports to the foreign exchange earnings and economies of developing countries is vitally important to many countries. The international trade in seafood is now in excess of $50 billion, with developing countries benefitting from a trade surplus in seafood of $16 billion. It is therefore important that seafood exports from developing countries should not be discriminated against in the consumer markets of developed countries and that they should be prepared to adopt catch certification as soon as possible.

In response to the COFI Report para. 51 (previously quoted), FAO are presently preparing an Expert Consultation on the Harmonisation of Catch Certification. The date has been set as the 9-11th January, and the meeting will be held in La Jolla, California in cooperation with the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (ICCAT). The participation in the meeting will be Regional Fisheries Management Bodies, experts in catch certification and those directly involved in catch certification. In FAO terminology, it will be an "Expert Consultation" in which individual experts, in a personal capacity are invited to advise FAO on a particular issue. A background paper, which is authored by Peter Miyake who recently retired from ICCAT, is being finalised and will be available shortly. This paper has already been widely circulated for comment to the Regional Fisheries Bodies.

The absence of a positive reply to your invitation to participate in your second Conference, should not be construed as a lack of FAO interest in Tracefish activities, but as an unfortunate combination of FAO staff commitments occurring at the same time, particularly the Reykjavik Conference on Responsible Fisheries in the Marine Ecosystem. We wish you a fruitful and productive Conference and look forward to the outcome of your meeting, and trust that we shall be able to participate in your future activities. In doing so it is worth repeating and important point in the COFI Report,

".....The Committee agreed that the Secretariat should continue to monitor developments in this field and inform the membership through relevant technical publications in order to develop criteria to guide member countries."

The FAO Secretariat fully intend to follow the wishes of COFI and in doing so, regard the work of Tracefish as essential to this exercise.

Received from Grimur Valdimarsson, FAO, September 21st 2001