The "Workshop on National Eco-label for Marine Capture Fisheries in Thailand” organized by the Department of Fisheries (DOF) of the Kingdom of Thailand and FAO was held in Bangkok from 13th to 15th of January 2015. The three day workshop attracted 50 participants to discuss the feasibility of establishing the Thai national eco-labelling scheme for marine capture fisheries.

During the workshop, 15 presentations were delivered on various aspects. Experts from US, Japan, Alaska, and Morocco presented either their work towards or detailed program of their national eco-labelling certification schemes. Representatives from the Marine Stewardship Council and Friend of the Sea presented their communication strategies and certification program respectively. Thai speakers from the tuna industry, an organic prawn project and the Thai fishery management authority shared their thoughts about having a Thai national scheme on the second day. Speakers from the FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department, and the Regional office in Asia and Pacific made presentations regarding the global fish production, trade and demand, FAO work on fisheries Eco-Labelling, voluntary guidelines for SSF, and fisheries management in Asia.

"FAO is ready to assist its member states to better capitalize on the value of eco-labelling certification in market access, differentiating products and rewarding sustainable management practices",  said Dr. Audun Lem, the Deputy Director of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy and Economic Division of FAO, "therefore we invite global experts to explore the possibility of developing the Thai Eco-Label based on the FAO Guidelines For the Eco Labelling of Fish and Fishery Products from Marine Capture Fisheries."

Participants made interactive and constructive input to the discussion about value, possible impact, communication strategy, cons and pros of having a national seafood eco-labelling certification scheme, and presented recommendations for the way ahead.

After three days of discussions and working group sessions, the workshop concluded that any initiative on eco-label should be seen as a component within a larger national strategy of sustainable fisheries management. This could include other issues such as Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing and aquaculture development. To establish a better understanding of next steps it was agreed that the Thai Government should initiate a dialogue with a broad range of stakeholders including private sector entities, ENGOs, consumers and civil society to share information, increase understanding of the value to consumers and producers of seafood with eco-labels and determine priorities in moving forward. The workshop recommended a pilot eco-label scheme project which could be applied to specific areas or specific species.