Report of the Expert Consultation to Develop an FAO Evaluation Framework to Assess the Conformity of Public and Private Ecolabelling Schemes with the FAO Guidelines for the Ecolabelling of Fish and Fishery Products from Marine Capture Fisheries. Rome, 24–26 November 2010.

FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Report. No. 958

Report of the Expert Consultation to Develop an FAO Evaluation Framework to Assess the Conformity of Public and Private Ecolabelling Schemes with the FAO Guidelines for the Ecolabelling of Fish and Fishery Products from Marine Capture Fisheries
Rome, 24–26 November 2010






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Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Rome 2011


ABSTRACT

FAO.
Report of the Expert Consultation to Develop an FAO Evaluation Framework to Assess the Conformity of Public and Private Ecolabelling Schemes with the FAO Guidelines for the Ecolabelling of Fish and Fishery Products from Marine Capture Fisheries. Rome, 24–26 November 2010.
FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Report. No. 958. Rome, FAO. 2011. 51 p.

The FAO Guidelines for the Ecolabelling of Fish and Fishery Products from Marine Capture Fisheries, originally adopted by the Committee on Fisheries (COFI) in 2005, were adopted in revised form by the Twenty-eighth Session of COFI in 2009. Following two Expert Consultations held in 2006 and 2008, a third Expert Consultation convened in May 2010 completed the draft Guidelines for the ecolabelling of fish and fishery products from inland capture fisheries for consideration by COFI in January–February 2011.

Following discussion in both COFI and the Sub-Committee on Fish Trade of the Committee on Fisheries (COFI:FT) relating to checking claims of compliance of ecolabelling schemes with the FAO Guidelines on ecolabelling of fish and fishery products, the Twenty-eighth Session of COFI requested the Secretariat to present a proposal to address this issue to COFI:FT. The Secretariat prepared and presented a document outlining various options for assessing the conformity of ecolabelling schemes with the FAO Guidelines to the Twelfth Session of COFI:FT. The Twelfth Session of COFI:FT agreed that, as a first step, the FAO Secretariat should convene an Expert Consultation to develop an FAO evaluation framework to assess the conformity of public and private ecolabelling schemes with the FAO Guidelines for the ecolabelling of fish and fishery products from marine capture fisheries. The Expert Consultation was convened in response to this decision.

COFI:FT also noted that it would be beneficial to develop a similar evaluation framework to assess the conformity of ecolabelling schemes with the FAO Guidelines for the Ecolabelling of Fish and Fishery Products from Inland Fisheries after their adoption. Moreover, as these draft Guidelines follow very closely the marine Guidelines, the Expert Consultation also considered additional criteria relating specifically to the inland fisheries Guidelines. In the event of COFI adopting the Inland Guidelines, an evaluation framework for ecolabelling schemes certifying fish and fishery products from inland fisheries could readily be produced.

The Expert Consultation considered a number of issues relating to the Guidelines and the Evaluation Framework. Inter alia, it noted that the Guidelines, and therefore the draft Evaluation Framework, relate only to the biological sustainability of fishery resources and not to other aspects that might have an impact on sustainability. Also noted were the many commonalities between the Marine Ecolabelling Guidelines and the draft Inland Ecolabelling Guidelines, and that the major difference between them relates to the consideration of enhancement and the use of introduced and/or translocated species in the draft Inland Guidelines. The Expert Consultation noted that in both sets of Guidelines there is insufficient attention given to the chain of custody. The respective responsibilities of States and ecolabelling schemes in relation to assistance to developing countries was also discussed. The draft Evaluation Framework is provided in Appendix D with an explanation of the approach in the body of this report.


Table of Contents

OPENING OF THE MEETING AND ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE SESSION


BACKGROUND, OBJECTIVES AND EXPECTED OUTCOME OF THE EXPERT CONSULTATION


DISCUSSION


APPROACH


ADOPTION OF THE REPORT


APPENDIXES

A.

Agenda and timetable

B.

List of participants

C.

Opening statement by Mr Árni M. Mathiesen, Assistant Director-General, FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department

D.

Draft Evaluation Framework


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The views expressed in this information product are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of FAO.


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