Market-based Quality Schemes, Certification, Organic Labels
Various NGOs are promoting eco/bio-labels. Some of them have a long standing tradition in other food items, others are concentrating on fish products only. A trend which just started a few months ago, is becoming more and more important at the moment, this is governments guaranteeing the quality of aquaculture products or the sustainability of the resources fished. More of this will come in the near future.
Helga Josupeit, Fishery Industry Officer, FAO
Rome, May 2007
The past year saw a mushrooming of certification schemes both for wild and aquacultured species, with many more to come soon. These certification schemes go from the “classical” dolphin-safe logo of Earth Islands Institute and the Marine Stewardship Council to recent logos prepared by governments. A risk associated with these mushrooming is the confusion of consumers and in the long run a decline in seafood consumption. Just as a simple example, since the introduction of the dolphin-safe logo in the USA the consumption of tuna in this country has declined by 20 percent.
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