These guidelines have been produced to support the implementation of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries particularly with regard to the need for responsibility in the post-harvest sector of the fish producing industry.

The industry that produces fish for food has three major areas of responsibility:

• to the consumer of the food to ensure that it is safe to eat, is of expected quality and nutritional value,
• to the resource to ensure that it is not wasted and
• to the environment to ensure that negative impacts are minimized.

In addition the industry has a responsibility to itself to ensure the continued ability of many millions of people throughout the world to earn a gainful living from working within the industry.

Article 11.1 of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries and other related parts of the Code are concerned particularly with these responsibilities. This publication provides annotation to and guidance on these articles to assist those charged with implementation of the Code to identify possible courses of action necessary to ensure that the industry is conducted in a sustainable manner.