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 Monday highlighted that the country is making remarkable progress towards 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 includes sustainable stock levels, minimal environmental impact and effective fishery management systems.
The capacity building workshop was hosted by the Sustainable Seafood Network India (SSNI) in association with various stakeholders to equip the stakeholders with 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. 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 demand for certified seafood has witnessed a significant surge in the global markets, the workshop observed. Amanda Lejbowicz, Head of Fisheries Standard Accessibility of MSC, London, said that over 15 per cent of the total marine catch across the globe is certified fishery.
“Certified seafood products in different forms such as canned, chilled, frozen and baby foods are on the rise with canned products registering a 9 per cent increase in demand last year,” said Lejbowicz.
On the growing status of fisheries certification, she said more countries are joining the initiative, with 63 countries currently being actively engaged in MSC certification.
“With the growing global emphasis on sustainability, eco-labelling 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,” said Lejbowicz.
Dr Sunil Mohamed, eminent marine scientist and 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 Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) is an international non-profit organisation which sets globally recognised standards for sustainable fishing and the seafood supply chain.
IANS
