Ecolabel Primer

1
Ecolabel Primer
Dr. Mark Holliday
2
FAO Definitions

• Ecolabeling scheme
• Ecolabeling 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.

3
FAO Definitions

• Certification
• Certification 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.

4
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.

5
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.

6
FAO Guidelines for the Setting of Ecolabel
Standards

• Options for governance structures
• There 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.

7
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.

8
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.

9
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."

10
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.

11
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?