Traceability | Leading practices from the 2021 Seafood Stewardship Index

Traceability systems, when designed according to a set of robust criteria such as the Global Dialogue for Seafood Traceability (GDST) standard, are key for capturing product data that meets both market and regulatory requirements. Our benchmark results revealed that there is very limited disclosure on the kinds of traceability systems companies have in place and the progress they are making towards implementing the GDST standard, which makes it difficult to know how the industry is currently performing.

Leading practice examples

None of the companies provided a detailed explanation of the kinds of traceability systems they currently have in place. However, by having 96% of its portfolio Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) or Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) certified, Nomad Foods can trace back its seafood products to their origin ensured through chain of custody certification. In addition, Nomad Foods traceability program includes laboratory testing of raw materials.

To eliminate IUU products from the global seafood market, seafood companies, in addition to legal requirements, can put in place risk assessment procedures to assess and mitigate IUU risks in their operations and supply chains. Furthermore, through policy advocacy, companies can push governments to improve the monitoring and surveillance systems on board vessels. The 2021 results shows that two third of the companies do not demonstrate a comprehensive approach to reduce IUU risks in their supply chain. However, there is a growing number of guidance and databases to help companies assess IUU risks in their operations and supply chains such as the PAS 1550 Implementation Guide, IUU Supply Chain Risk Tool (currently under development) and the IUU Fishing index. For support, companies can also join pre-competitive platforms such as the Global Tuna Alliance.

Leading practice examples

Labeyrie Fine Foods’ IUU risk-based approach is one of the most detailed in the benchmark. In addition to sourcing through third-party certifications such as the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) or MarinTrust, Labeyrie uses its own IUU fishing risk assessment tool to approve its suppliers. To conduct the assessment, Labeyrie uses data obtained from their suppliers such as vessel name and registration, flag state, vessel beneficiary owners and operations, ports and landing centres, Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMO), information about transshipment activities and management systems in place. When there are concerns about IUU risks, the company either creates improvement strategies with its suppliers or does not approve the product source.