Fish products provide trade opportunities, employment and nutrition in many countries. However, globally, poor management has led to the overexploitation of fish stocks.

Research from the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development in Geneva, and the High Seas Task Force of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in France, examines whether governments and the fishing industry can utilise the markets and trade policies to encourage more sustainable practices.

Seafood is one of the world’s most widely traded commodities, but United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that 75 percent of marine fish stocks are either fully exploited or overexploited. This means that governments and communities who rely on fishing for trade, income and nutrition are facing an uncertain future. This is particularly true for coastal developing countries.

Current trade and marketplace measures used to promote sustainable fisheries management consist of policies and practices to monitor and track seafood products, from the time the fish are caught to when they are sold to final consumers. These measures include border controls that allow countries or territories to regulate trade in these products.

Governments, regional fisheries management organisations (RFMOs), the fishing industry and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have adopted different measures to promote sustainability:

• RMFOs have used catch documentation schemes, vessel monitoring systems and import bans. However, illegal fishing operators can get around these systems, for example by changing vessel names frequently.
• NGOs have organised boycotts of specific seafood species and produced seafood guides for consumers. These have raised public awareness, but have little significant impact on trade.
• Organisations such as the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) have promoted ‘ecolabelling’, which certifies responsible fisheries to help consumers choose between sustainable and unsustainable fish products. To date, the MSC has only certified a small fraction of total world seafood supply from capture fisheries.

While ecolabelling and the MSC programme have limitations, the fishing industry may prefer these options. Ecolabelling is an independent and transparent process that consults all groups. The seafood industry seems to view ecolabelling as a practical way to guarantee that seafood is from sustainable sources.

However, developing countries have found it difficult to adjust to the measures outlined above. Representatives from these countries have concerns that their fisheries cannot meet MSC standards. Nevertheless, the report recommends:

• Developing countries should receive support to implement voluntary ecolabelling standards within the guidelines set by the Food and Agricultural Organization.
• RFMOs should target government corruption. For example, independent certification could improve vessel monitoring.
• Applying catch documentation and tracing schemes to all main species, and publishing lists of vessels fishing illegally, should reduce illegal fishing and trade.
• International lists of groups involved in fishing, trading and marketing seafood products should be colour-coded according to their performance: those with sustainable practices would be given more benefits.
• Given the increasing importance of China in seafood processing and trade, this country should be encouraged to play an active role in international efforts towards sustainable fishing.

Source(s):
‘Trade and Marketplace Measure to Promote Sustainable Fishing Practices’, ICTSD Natural Resources, International Trade and Sustainable Development Series Issue Paper No.3, ICTSD/HSTF: Geneva, by Cathy A. Roheim and Jon G. Sutinen, 2006 (PDF) Full document.

Funded by: Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs; UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

id21 Research Highlight: 8 December 2006

Further Information:
Heike Baumüller
International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development
International Environment House 2
7 chemin de Balexert
1219 Geneva
Switzerland

Tel: +41 22 917 8492
Fax: +41 22 917 8093
Contact the contributor: ictsd@ictsd.ch

International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development, Switzerland

Cathy A. Roheim
Department of Environmental and Natural Resource Economics
Kingston Coastal Institute
1 Greenhouse Road
University of Rhode Island
Kingston, RI 02881
USA

Tel: +1 401 874 4569
Fax: +1 401 782 4766
Contact the contributor: CRW@uri.edu

High Seas Task Force, France

Other related links:
'id21 insights 65 - The importance of fisheries for development'

'Achieving a sustainable global fish trade'

'Stopping the illegal fishing trade in Guinea'

'Slipping through the net: can poor people benefit from the international fisheries trade?'

See id21's links for fisheries