Proposed Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative19 September 2012
GLOBAL - A number of parties involved in the international seafood supply chain have recently come together around the concept of creating a "global sustainable seafood initiative", or GSSI.
The stated aim is to "enhance and support an efficient, sustainable seafood supply chain, by providing transparent and objective analysis of the credibility, performance and acceptance of the different certification programs that exist within the wild capture and aquaculture sectors."
The MSC has released a position statement regarding this initiative, below.
"MSC welcomes the proposal to create a Global Seafood Sustainability Initiative, if we are correct in our understanding of the intent behind the initiative. With the growing number of certification programs as well as other forms of sustainability assurance programs operating in many markets around the world, there is an indisputable need for truly independent review and ranking of the services and claims being made by the various programs, as well as a mechanism to ensure quality control among the programs.
"MSC would be delighted to see a credible, balanced, transparent process to evaluate, benchmark and grade the performance of the various programs providing assurances about sustainability and responsible management in world fisheries. That would be a welcome and needed evolution in the sustainable seafood movement.
We understand that the initial proponents of a GSSI are only at the scoping phase and are seeking input into its design and structure."
To read more of MSC's statement please follow: http://www.msc.org/newsroom/news/statement-on-global-sustainable-seafood-initiative
TheFishSite News Desk