The Seafood Exporters Association of India (SEAI) has undertaken pre-assessments and developed fishery improvement projects for several marine catches off the Indian coast, including coastal shrimps, deep-sea shrimp, octopus, squid, cuttlefish, and blue swimming crab. The aim is to obtain certification from the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), a prominent not-for-profit organization dedicated to the world’s leading fisheries sustainability standard.
The Lakshadweep islands recently completed its fisheries improvement programme (FIP) for skipjack tuna fisheries, a collaboration between WWF-India and the International Pole and Line Foundation. SEAI members have formed two consortia to support the MSC certification process, marking a significant step towards promoting fisheries sustainability in India.
The chair of the Sustainable Seafood Network India, Sunil Mohamed, highlighted the importance of MSC certification, noting that the Ashtamudi waters short-necked clam was the first fishery resource in India to achieve MSC certification in 2013. Over the past decade, there have been no additional certifications, making this initiative pivotal for the industry.
The deep-sea shrimp trawl fishery is part of the MSC’s “In-Transition to MSC” program, with a grant of £44,310 awarded to WWF-India to support the fishery improvement project. Starting from 2021, these fisheries can undergo a full assessment against the MSC’s Fisheries Standard.
MSC certification is expected to enhance the visibility and acceptability of Indian seafood in the global market. Ecolabels, such as the MSC certification, serve as seals of approval, indicating that products have a reduced environmental impact compared to similar products in the market.
The discussions on fisheries sustainability took place during a two-day multi-stakeholder dialogue supported by NITI Aayog, WWF-India, and SSNI (Sustainable Seafood Network India) on the occasion of World Ocean Day. MSC representatives played a pivotal role in coordinating discussions with seafood exporters and marine researchers from reputable institutions like CMFRI, CIFT, CUSAT, and FSI.
