July 3, 2008

Ecolabel Primer

Dr. Mark Holliday

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FAO Definitions

Ecolabeling schemeEcolabeling schemes entitle a fishery product to bear a

distinctive logo or statement which certifies that the fish has been harvested in compliance with conservation and sustainability standards.

The logo or statement is intended to make provision for informed decisions of purchasers whose choice can be relied upon to promote and stimulate the sustainable use of fishery resources.

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FAO Definitions

CertificationCertification is the procedure by which a third party

gives written or equivalent assurance that a fishery conforms with the relevant standard and that a proper chain of custody is in place.

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Essential Elements

Certification & chain of custody are integral and indispensable parts of any ecolabeling scheme to assure buyers and consumers that a certain fish or fishery product comes from a fishery that conforms with the established standard for a sustainable fishery.

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FAO Guidelines for the Setting of Ecolabel Standards of Sustainability

Purpose: The setting of standards is among the most critical tasks of any ecolabeling scheme.

The standards reflect the objectives for sustainable

fisheries that are being pursued through the scheme. Standards comprise quantitative and qualitative indicators of the governance or management system of a fishery, as well as of its outcome, in terms of sustainable fisheries and conservation of marine fishery resources and related ecosystems.

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FAO Guidelines for the Setting of Ecolabel Standards

Options for governance structuresThere are various options for the governance of an ecolabel. The initiative for a scheme could be taken by:

— Government, — Inter-governmental organization,— Non-governmental organization, or — Private industry association.

The owner of an ecolabeling scheme should engage a separate independent specialist accreditation body to take on the task of accreditation of certification bodies on its behalf. The accreditation body could be private, public or an autonomous body governed by public service rules.

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FAO Minimum Substantive Requirements and Criteria for Ecolabels

Requirements are specified for each of three areas: 1. Management system; 2. The stock or stocks for which certification is being

sought (subsequently referred to as “stock under consideration”); and 3. Ecosystem considerations.

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Commentary in the News

Drew Cherry www.intrafish.com “What is and isn't sustainable is getting to be more and

more complicated, and there's clearly disagreement within the NGO community about who's "red" and "green" lists are accurate. The truth, of course, is that there is no truth. And this isn't going to change. One man's bountiful, well-managed fishery is another's ruthless sea-floor destroyer.”

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Commentary in the News

Senior investigator Mark Floegel of Greepeace, in response to whether Greenpeace has a consumer-focused "green fish" shopping guide:

"We're not recommending any species of fish to consumers. We think it's more important to create awareness of the negative environmental consequences of overfished species and aquaculture practices. Also, we don't want to put a "seal of approval" on any particular species, because there are really none out there that can stand more fishing pressure."

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Commentary in the News

Peter Hajipieris, with retailer Tesco UK:"The next step is really for us to start to articulate

exactly what we mean by seafood sustainability. If the definition is too narrow, companies won't bother trying to meet it. If it's too broad, sustainability won't mean anything at all. If NGOs are the gatekeepers to sustainable seafood land, it's on them to make it crystal clear what side of the fence seafood companies and their products are on.”

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Trigger Questions:

1. Is there a need for additional federal sustainability standards?2. If so, what form should they take: - General guidance or specific standards?

- What would be the scope, e.g., wild versus all seafood sources?- Domestic production only or imports as well?- EEZ versus state waters?

3. What is our definition of “sustainable seafood?”4. Is a federal ecolabel or mark desired? 5. Do we have the authority? 6. Is it practical? 7. How would we pay for it?8. What is the role of other federal agencies, states, industry,

NGOs, consumer groups?