The SMART Fisher Certification

Introduction
Increase in world trade in the last four decades has caused a complete change in the patterns of food production and distribution. The advancement in transportation technology ensures food products, especially seafood, travel over long distances within a short time. This trend is benefiting both the consumers and producers of the seafood products. The movement of seafood products over long distances also hastens the spread of health threats and the resulting economic disruptions caused by the food-borne incidents. The safety and protection of the seafood production and distribution network is more important than ever, regardless of whether the spread of the disease is accidental or intentional. Up to 30% of the worlds population suffers from food-borne illnesses each year. The loss in productivity because of food-borne diseases is more than seven billion dollars each year.

The SMART Fisher Certification
The demand for eco labeled products in low and middle-income countries is yet to reach significant levels. The local companies in these countries are realizing the importance of eco labeling and are actively pursuing certification. In the near future, many fisheries in South Africa will obtain a credible eco label. Through the bodies supporting eco labeling, the initiative is offering expanded commercial opportunities for the small fisheries in South Africa. The bodies supporting eco labeling are actively pushing for certification in the developing nations, especially now that the demand for eco labeled seafood far exceeds the supply. Eco labeling has recently come under criticism for acting as a possible informal barrier to the trade of seafood. More than half of the seafood products traded in the world are from fisheries in developing nations that lack certification. The certification bodies are currently increasing their presence in Africa, Asia, and Latin America (Anna and Beaton 29).
The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) is the main seafood certifying body in South Africa. In conjunction with the local world wildlife fund (WWF), the MSC provides certification services to fisheries in southern and eastern Africa. The WWF launched the MSC in corroboration with Unilever during the 1990s. The WWF use MSC as a strategic tool in the conservation of marine wildlife. Few fisheries have obtained the eco label certificate so far; however, many fisheries show a strong interest and the future looks promising. In South Africa, the MSC provides a robust dispute resolution mechanism, which the parties involved find satisfying. The main objective of the body is to provide fishery certifications that the parties involved find reasonable, impartial, and fair. To achieve this, it provides independent reviews to ensure the certification bodys decisions are not unreasonable or arbitrary. To achieve this, the MSC has a structured procedure through which concerned parties raise grievances in a transparent manner (Cathy and Jon 16).
To achieve its objectives, the MSC maintains to global standards. These include ensuring fisheries conduct their activities in a sustainable manner and seafood product bearing the MSC certification is traceable to a certified fishery. In South Africa, the MSC is a standard setter unlinked to any entity requiring certification. The body is a third party certifying body with full stakeholder input and a functional dispute resolution mechanism, which is transparent. Transparency is achieved through open governance and a stakeholder engagement structure, which ensures interested parties enjoy full participation. The MSCs mechanisms provide a means for the fisheries to demonstrate the sustainability of their fishing methods and the capacity of their information systems to deliver an assessment of inputs (World wildlife fund (WWF) 5).
According to the MSC standards, it assesses only fisheries that voluntarily engage in the assessment process. The fisheries must demonstrate the intention of good management and the actual good management. Determining the influence the fishery has on the marine environment enables MSC to determine actual good management. The MSC is not in favor of any fishing method; however, it is against the use of poison and dynamite for fishing purposes. The MSC maintains consultations with the fishing communities, conservation communities, and scientists to ensure the standards set are developed in a formal balanced process. The MSC third party assessment bodies must demonstrate conformity to ISO Guide 65/17065. The requirements of this ISO section are part of the MSC program. A contracted certifying body contracts three fishery science experts to conduct the assessment. At least one of the assessing experts must be conversant with the fishery under assessment; however, the experts are independent and have no stake in the assessment (World wildlife fund (WWF) 14). Non-conformity arising from an assessment is addressed within a set timeframe, before the body is certified or after. The analysis process considers the health of the stock, the impact the fishery has on the marine environment, and the management system.
MSC is a nonprofit, transparent organization with only two sources of revenue. It operates using funds from donors and logo license revenue. The logo license revenue is from the voluntarily use of the companys logo on certified products. The loyalty is paid in two parts. There is a fixed loyalty with a maximum fee of 2,000 dollars and a volume fee with a maximum of 0.5 percentages on the wholesale price. The cost of certification is a concern of the fishery desiring certification and an MSC certified accrediting body. Once a fishery is certified, the certification lasts for a period of five years; however, there are four annual surveillance audits over the lifetime of the certification. The MSC is an internationally recognized program with the goal of ensuring sustainable harvesting of seafood. Its eco-label enjoys worldwide recognition and does not compete with national or company brands but rather enhances them to strengthen their image and market interest (Sustainability of Seafood Production and Consumption 755).
The WWF certifies fisheries in South Africa through the MSC, whereas in Europe and Canada, the WWF takes a different approach to ensure sustainable exploitation of the ocean resources. Unlike in South Africa where certification is voluntary, the WWF Europe and Canada runs a rating program and a voluntary certification program. The rating program classifies fisheries into three distinct categories. Sea Choice is an organization in Canada concerned with the sustainable exploitation of ocean resources. The organization identifies sustainable seafood as fish or shellfish produced in a farm or caught in the wild in a way that considers the long-term viability of the wild population and the ecological integrity of the marine habitats. Using the colors red, green, and yellow, Sea Choice helps Canadians make informed choices (Nathan et al 322) by assigning labels to different species depending on the level of threat. Fish species with the green label are responsibly farmed or fished and their population is currently stable. Species with the yellow label have unstable populations and their production practices raise conservation concerns. The continued production of the yellow label species within the current parameters is unsustainable. Fish species with the red label are from sources with multiple problems including habitat damage, low populations, and poor management. Species with this label have slow growth rate, low rate of multiplication, high age of maturity, and are high in the food chain. This fish also pose a risk of high mercury content in their tissue because they live longer. An example of a red-labeled species is the Atlantic salmon. The Atlantic salmon is depleted in the wild and the current open cage farming is unsustainable (Anna and Beaton 34).
The European and Canadian WWF dedicate more of their efforts towards increasing consumer awareness than the certification of fisheries. Unlike in South Africa where the local population has little concern for eco labeling, the population in Canada and the developed nations in Europe demonstrate a willingness to pay more for certified products. The South African assessment process focuses on the effect of the fishing activities on the seafloor and the extent to which the fishery integrates sustainable fishing methods in their activities (Lars 8). The European and Canadian certification process place more emphasizes on the effects of the fishing activities on multiple species, the issues of by-catch and discard, food safety and the social aspects of fishing. The eco-labels in South Africa are compound attribute eco labels that focus on the environmental effects of the entire fishing process in a broad sense. The common eco labels in Europe and Canada are concerned with specific species and sustaining their reproductive capacity, whereas the MSC label is concerned with the protection of the environment and the maintenance of fish stocks by limiting fishing activities (Jennifer and Daniel 76).
A non-profit organization established by Dr. Paolo Bay support the conservation of marine ecosystems. Using aquaculture and certified fisheries, Friends of the Sea support the maintenance of seafood stocks. Using the International Organization for Standardization, Friends of the Sea certifies fisheries. For a fishery to qualify it must exploit available stock within the set standards to ensure no overexploitation occurs. Certified fisheries use production methods that do not destroy the habitat and ensure by catch of endangered species does not happen. For the aquaculture, the criteria for qualification include proper wastewater management and reduction of the farms carbon footprint. Farms must also produce fish not genetically enhanced without growth hormones and antibiotics. South Africa has a well-established system for the sustainable exploitation of commercially important stocks. Most of the commercially viable stocks are under management to guarantee sustainable production or the recovery of populations. Friends of the Sea works in collaboration with the South East Atlantic Fisheries Organization (SEAFO) to ensure wild stocks maintain health populations and safeguard the oceans as a source of food in the future (Nathan et al 133).
Conclusion
Seafood certification focuses on safeguarding of the resources in the oceans and seas. The focus is on the target species and the effects of the fishing activities on the sea floor, which is the fishes habitat and breeding grounds. The global seafood industry is facing significant sustainability challenges. The population stocks, especially of target species is under threat, the marine habitats are in poor conditions, and the confidence of the consumers is low. Despite these challenges, the benefits associated with the implementation of a traceability program are irrefutable.
 Works cited
Anna Magera and Beaton Sadie. Traceability systems, certification, eco-labeling, and standards for achieving sustainable seafood. Seafood Traceability in Canada. Toronto: Ecology action center, 2009.
Cathy Roheim and Jon G. Sutinen. Trade and Marketplace Measures to Promote Sustainable Fishing Practices. Geneva: International Center for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD), 2006.
Jennifer Jacquet and Daniel Pauly. Funding Priorities: Big Barriers to Small Scale Fisheries. Vancouver: Society for Conservation Biology, 2008.
Lars H. Gulbrandsen. The emergence and effectiveness of the Marine Stewardship Council. Lysaker: Elsevier Ltd, 2009.
Nathan Ayer, Raymond P. Côté, Peter H. Tyedmers, J.H. Martin Willison. Sustainability of seafood production and consumption: an introduction to the special issue. Journal of Cleaner Production. 17.3 (2009): 321-324, ISSN 0959-6526.
Sustainability of Seafood Production and Consumption, Journal of Cleaner Production. 14.8 (2006): 754-755, ISSN 0959-6526.
World wildlife fund (WWF). An independent assessment by Accenture Development Partners (ADP). Zürich: Accenture, 2009.