FAO Workshop on Fisheries Eco Labelling & Aquaculture Certification

FAO Workshop on Fisheries Eco Labelling & Aquaculture Certification

August 2015 - Sandy Davies (NFDS Technical Director) and Sally Frankcom (Communications Officer) were in Cape Town, South Africa to attend the FAO/GSSI/DAFF South Africa Workshop on Awareness Building in Fisheries Eco Labelling, Aquaculture Certification, Conformity Assessment and Benchmarking.The workshop considered the current state of certification in the SADC region and the issues that prevented access to these schemes, particularly in capture fisheries.

The Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative (GSSI) provided an overview of their Global Benchmark Tool, which will be launched in October 2105, and is being introduced to address concerns about the usefulness of current certification and eco labelling schemes and their conformity to the relevant FAO Guidelines as well as the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries.

GSSI aims to provide clarity on seafood certification and ensure consumer confidence in certified seafood.