Certified Seafood International (CSI) has announced that it offers a new choice in the certification of wild-capture seafood, with its focus on delivering an ‘affordable and effective eco-certification programme that provides credible assurance, expands access to more high-performing fisheries, and promotes greater transparency about the seafood that we eat.’
‘All of us want wild-capture fisheries to remain healthy and productive for generations to come,’ said Christine Penney, chair of the CSI board and VP Sustainability and Public Affairs at Clearwater Seafoods.
‘Credible third-party certification programmes have an important role to play in recognizing responsible management practices and providing assurance to the market. We are pleased that CSI will expand the choices available to global seafood stakeholders.’
The certificates and standards of the GSSI- benchmarked Responsible Fishery Management (RFM) programme are rolling into CSI, bringing approximately 3 million tonnes of landings from mainly US fisheries under the new banner as already certified.
The programme’s new global governing board currently includes individuals from Canada, Japan, New Zealand, South Africa, Mexico, the United Kingdom and the United States.
‘The CSI program will assess fisheries against a clear and rigorous fisheries standard grounded in the guidelines of the FAO,’ stated CSI executive director Mike Kraft.
‘We believe that a stable standard, focused on fisheries management and based on internationally recognised UN principles, provides clarity and consistency that is vital for fisheries striving to achieve certification.’
CSI states that it offers the ability to identify harvest origin on the eco-label, an aspect of the improved transparency that CSI is committed to promoting over time.
