Viewing: Traceability

Traceability in the Peruvian Mahi Mahi Fishery As is the case with any complex system, there is no one silver bullet solution that will solve overexploitation of fishery resources. A coordinated effort is needed across multiple domains from governance to trade.  We believe that traceability is an important approach that has been identified which, within the seafood industry, allows fishers, processors, distributors, and retailers to seamlessly share key information about a product as it winds its way from dock to plate. Properly applied, traceability…

The last few years have witnessed emerging national level laws and policies around the world that are shaping the market space for traceable seafood through data-driven regulations. At the same time, seafood companies are under increasing international pressure to make and meet commitments to sustainable and socially responsible practices—a lift that requires increased levels of traceability and transparency in seafood supply chains to identify weaknesses and track improvements. The path to improved data systems and traceability will require more than just technology upgrades. In…

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Illegal, unreported, and unregulated Piracy pays. Growing seafood demand, combined with fewer fish, poor traceability systems, and a vast ocean impossible to patrol adds up to big returns for those willing to catch fish illegally and funnel them into the legitimate supply chain. Whether it consists of fishing in forbidden waters, catching protected species, using prohibited gear, or catching more than allowed, pirate fishing causes enormous economic and environmental damage. It skews the market for honest fishers, diverts revenue and food supply from coastal…

The laws of the sea How can you regulate something you can’t see? Though that might seem an impossible task, it is exactly the core mission of fisheries managers, who must negotiate with scientists, industry, NGOs, and various enforcement agencies to govern the living systems of the ocean. Regulating ocean resources has always been a difficult task, with mixed results depending on the model employed and the level of funding and respect given to scientific recommendations, enforcement needs, and community input. Challenges Red tape…

A guide for companies implementing seafood supply-chain traceability technology Over the past decade, the call for seafood traceability has grown louder and more urgent amid rising concerns about mislabeling, illegal fishing, and diminishing stocks of some of the world’s most commercially important fish. Recent reports have now sounded additional alarms on human trafficking and modern-day slavery within the seafood supply chain. For seafood companies attempting to play by the rules, these systemic failures threaten market efficiencies, brand integrity, and profits. The seafood traceability agenda…

Future of Fish convenes key players to design a more resilient future On March 18, 2015, Future of Fish hosted a workshop in Boston for stakeholders of the New England groundfish fishery. The purpose was to collaboratively design a more resilient future by exploring how improving the flow and quality of information within the fishery might lead to tangible benefits for fishermen, businesses, managers, and the fishery itself. Through a series of discussions, collective brainstorms, and hands-on activities, workshop participants collaboratively designed frameworks for…

Building a roadmap for effective mobile technology to sustain fisheries and improve fisher livelihoods The need for improved fisheries data is a major challenge for sustainable fisheries management in many emerging economies. As is the case with industries such as health care, mobile technology may offer solutions to meet some of these challenges. Developing this opportunity, however, requires technology that collects meaningful data and program design that incentivizes appropriate use of that technology. In May of 2015, the organization 50in10, an initiative to promote global…

A primer for resource managers, scientists, fishers, and other industry players seeking to harness the power of supply chains to ignite sustainable management in artisanal fisheries. A supply chain is more than a set of links. Though we call it a supply “chain,” few products in today’s global economy move along a simple, linear track. From clothing to cars to cod, modern supply chains resemble increasingly complex networks of people and companies that produce, transform, aggregate, separate, package, transport, store, ship, trade, sell, and…

Future of Fish developed this introduction video to help teach chefs and food-service professionals about the importance of Storied Fish.

Five core business functions of robust end-to-end traceability Reports of overfishing, Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) activities, human rights abuses, and fraud continue to tarnish the reputation of the global seafood industry. At the same time, companies practicing environmental and social responsibility are not rewarded for their efforts. Traceability is often held up as the answer to this broken system, but traceability tends to mean different things to different people, and rarely is deployed as a full-chain solution. Through years of engagement with seafood…