| Abstract: |
A technical paper just released by FAO explores ways in which countries involved in seafood supply chains can contribute to maximizing the effectiveness of catch documentation schemes (CDS).The report details how countries can use their status as coastal, flag, port, processing, or end-market states to promote and support sustainable fisheries management. Written by Gilles Hosch and Francisco Blaha, “Seafood traceability for fisheries compliance - Country-level support for catch documentation schemes” expands on an earlier publication about the importance of trade measures in the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, which negatively impacts fisheries worldwide. The study finds that traditional fisheries monitoring, inspection, and sanctioning mechanisms are of primary importance for flag, coastal, and end-market states, whereas effective country-level traceability mechanisms are more important for port and processing states. “ Our focus is on the traceability of seafood consignments and the mechanisms built into catch documentation schemes, but we also explore other important compliance mechanisms that support effective implementation of these schemes at country level,” Hosch said. |
