‘Demand for certified seafood surges in global markets’
‘Need to integrate sustainability auditing into university fisheries curricula’
Kochi: In a major boost for India’s seafood export, the country is expected to enter the global fisheries certification by the end of 2025. A stakeholder workshop held in Kochi on Monday highlighted that the country is making remarkable progress towards the sustainable fisheries with most of the prioritised species nearing the completion of fishery improvement projects (FIPs). This is critical for assessing the fishery against the standard of Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification, which include sustainable stock levels, minimal environmental impact, and effective fishery management systems.
In India, a dozen prioritised fisheries have already conducted pre-assessments against the MSC Standards, enabling stakeholders to develop clear action plans for improvement.
The capacity building workshop was hosted by the Sustainable Seafood Network India (SSNI) in association with various stakeholders to equip the stakeholders about the principles of MSC certification and to discuss progress towards sustainable fisheries management in India. Marine scientists, government officials, environmentalists, certification experts and exporters attended.
Demand for certified seafood surges in global markets
The demand for certified seafood has witnessed a significant surge in the global markets, the workshop observed. Leading session at the workshop, Amanda Lejbowicz, Head of Fisheries Standard Accessibility of MSC, London said: “Over 15% of the total marine catch across the globe are certified fishery. Certified seafood products in different forms such as canned, chilled, frozen and baby foods are on rise with canned products registering 9% increase in demand last year”
On the growing status of fisheries certification, she said more countries are joining the initiative with currently 63 countries being actively engaged in MSC certification.
“With the growing global emphasis on sustainability, ecolabeling has become a critical factor in market access, competitiveness, and export growth. International buyers, especially in Europe, the US and Japan, are increasingly demanding certified sustainable seafood”, she added. Beyond environmental sustainability, Ms. Amanda stated that MSC certification requires that fisheries demonstrate the absence of forced and child labour, promoting a healthy society.
Dr Sunil Mohamed, Chairman of the SSNI emphasised the critical need for integrating sustainability certification and auditing into university fisheries curricula, saying that this would ensure a sufficient supply of auditing professionals in the field.
The workshop also emphasised the importance of collaboration among all stakeholders in the seafood value chain—fishermen, processors, exporters, government agencies and regulatory bodies—for the practical implementation of sustainability action plans.
Experts from the Central Institute of Fisheries Technology, Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Fishery Survey of India and World Wildlife Fund; government fisheries officials from various coastal states; PhD students; and industrial stakeholders attended the workshop. Similar training-cum workshop is scheduled to be held on Wednesday in Thiruvananthapuram for the Fisheries Department officials in Kerala.
