Dr. Jacqueline Alder

Products Trade and Marketing Branch

Fisheries and Aquaculture Department

Presentation State and Trends in Fisheries & Aquaculture

Responses

Eco-labelling/Certification– opportunities & challenges

FAO’s Role

Private Sector/Civil Society Engagement

Opportunities & challenges in eco-labelling and certification - fisheries and aquaculture

State & Trends

Opportunities & challenges in eco-labelling and certification - fisheries and aquaculture

Global fish production 2012

State of World Fish Stocks

Year

%

1980 1990 2000 2010

02

04

06

0

Fully exploited

Non-fully fished

Overfished

PROBLEM OF THE COMMONS

Open-access capture fisheries:

Over-capacity of fishing fleets, excess fishing effort

Overexploited fish stocks

Reduced profitability, lower fisher incomes

Declining contribution of fisheries sector to GDP

Threat to biodiversity conservation

Threat to long-run economic sustainability

Threat to long-term food security

Global aquaculture production

Global aquaculture production: 90.4 million tonnes in 2012

66.6 million tonnes of food fish

23.8 million tonnes of aquatic plants

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

70000

80000

90000

100000

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

7

Aquaculture Challenges Land and water availability Cost and energy efficient productivity Minimizing ecosystem negative impacts Fed aquaculture: Availability of Fishmeal, Fish

Oil and other ingredients Biosecurity and health management Technology & knowledge Adequate finance and investment (small farmer)

Improve equity and social impact Diversify the sector Conductive policy and adequate governance

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

200

1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022

Mil

lio

n t

on

nes

World fish production: 1980 to 2023 OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 2014

Capture Aquaculture

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

Kg

pe

r ca

pit

a p

er

year

Per capita fish supply for human consumption

1950 to 2014

Per Capita Supply from Capture Fishery(Kg) Per Capita Supply from Aquaculture(Kg)

• Aquaculture recent trend IS upwards • Capture fisheries remain stationary together 211 million tonnes fish in 2030

World fish production estimate to 2030

FAO Fish Price Index (2002 to 2004 = 100)

Responses

Opportunities & challenges in eco-labelling and certification - fisheries and aquaculture

Binding instruments

Fisheries Governance

Non-binding instruments

Eco-labelling and Certification

Opportunities & challenges in eco-labelling and certification - fisheries and aquaculture

Common factors in markets that require eco-labelled seafood1

1. Environmentally aware, active populations

2. Seafood retail sector dominated by large supermarket chains, not small fish markets

3. Consumption patterns based on few seafood species

4. Preference for processed seafood products that lend themselves to labeling

Results of FAO research

Market Measures: Eco-Labels

o Eco-label certification can allow access to new markets o Product differentiation o Incentive for more environmental-friendly production /processing methods

o Eco-labels can encourage the development of stable and integrated supply

chains o Incentive for better long-term stewardship of resources o One of the least coercive market-based mechanism for sustainability o Traceability – contributes to addressing IUU

Eco-labelling Opportunities

Eco-labelling Challenges o Lack of transparency and opportunities to participate in the formulation

of product standards o Perception of eco-labelling:

a) disguise underlying intentions to protect domestic industries, b) restrict market access; and c) erode national competitiveness for those less able to meet or afford foreign labelling and certification standards

o Studies suggest that in many cases, fishers & farmers bear most of the

cost retailers reap most of the rewards o Is it only farms and fisheries that would be sustainable with or without

the label that are being certified? Is it just an additional cost or is it a motivation to improve practices?

o Common international understanding of the criteria for certification

Role of FAO

ROLE of FAO

Data collection and information sharing

Research on economic impacts

Capacity building

Development of voluntary guidelines

Neutral forum for dialogue

FAO does not assess eco-label schemes

Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries (1995)

Guidelines for the Eco-Labeling of Fish and Fishery Products from Marine Capture Fisheries (2005; rev 2009)

Guidelines for the Eco-Labeling of Fish and Fishery Products from Inland Capture Fisheries (2010)

Guidelines for Aquaculture Certification (2011)

Guidelines

Available from www.fao.org

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Private Sector

Partnership with the GSSI

FAO has a mandate to collaborate with private sector initiatives, that are multi-stakeholder and non-profit

FAO provides technical expertise to GSSI expert working groups (process, fisheries, aquaculture)

FAO is a member of the GSSI Steering Committee

To insure inclusiveness of the global tool

To insure regional representation

To insure market access for developing countries and SSF

FAO Guidelines are the base of the GSSI global benchmarking tool:

FAO certification guidelines (minimum criteria)

FAO evaluation frameworks (minimum criteria)

Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries

FAO staff provide expert advice to GSSI on the FAO Guidelines and CCRF.

FAO anticipates GSSI will improve transparency in fish trade, benefiting all stakeholders along the value chain.

FAO contributions and expectations

Fisheries and Aquaculture Department