Certification schemes are emerging in the fisheries sector, considered as a consumer-driven solution for the sustainability of the fisheries sector (with known objections and limitations). While many fisheries and fleets worldwide are attaining certification by different eco-labelling schemes, in the Mediterranean few fisheries and fleets are certified (at least by multiple attribute eco-labels rather than single attribute eco-labels.
Do you think that this is because of the multispecies fisheries character of the Mediterranean fleets that can not line with the assessment principles and criteria of the schemes or is because such changes and improvements are not profitable given the total catches and revenues from the Med fisheries???
hi ioannis - good question. eco-labelling of the relavant and solid variant - which in fisheries is largely embodied by a single certification scheme (MSC) - can be expensive and onerous to maintain. however, in the case of MSC, it does provide solid assurances that the fishery which is certified is managed and exploited in a sustainable manner. it would appear that the smaller the fishery, the more difficult to maintain MSC certification - for reasons relating to cost. a good example for this is the south pacific albacore fishery, which in fiji is carried by less than a handful of companies that struggled a couple of years ago to re-new MSC certification - because the fishery was underperforming and MSC -costs were important.
Another type of certification which can work very well though, and which has recently been instrumental in turning around the largely mediterranean bluefin tuna fishery, is the the catch documentation scheme (CDS) - in that particular instance operated by ICCAT. when it was introduced in 2008-2009, estimated misreporting of catches fell from >100% TAC to around 0%. and in the lapse of 7 years, the bluefin tuna stock has recovered from the brink of economic extinction to being very productive again.
so to me it is important to bearing in mind that certification can come in various forms, and that all of these have their merits and limitations. you can check out some of the recent papers on this under my profile, if interested!
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