Seafood traceability for fisheries compliance: country-level support for catch documentation schemes

Abstract

Illegal Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing continues to plague the world’s capture fisheries. This can occur within national jurisdiction such as inland fisheries and Exclusive Economic Zones, as well as in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction governed by Regional Fisheries Management Organisations. It is the later that is the focus of this research, in which the authors define the core concepts and conduct SWOT analysis of country compliance of traceability requirements of their RFMOs. This study relies on the extensive background and expertise of its authors in catch documentation schemes and traceability in the seafood industry, in order to develop concrete recommendations on how to improve fish traceability systems to sustainably manage fisheries resources.