SUSTAINABILITY CERTIFICATIONS & RATINGS: WHAT DO THEY ALL MEAN?
Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) SFC EcoScore 9.2
Comprehensive certification of farmed fish Audited chain of custody Includes assessment of Environment, Social practices and Occupational health and safety Public disclosure of audit/inspection
Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) SFC EcoScore 4*=7.75, 3*= 7.2, 2*= 6.5, 1*= 3.8.
Comprehensive certification of farmed fish ‘Stars’ are awarded for certification of Feed, Hatchery, Farms, and Processing BAP 1 star for processing plant only, 2 star for processing and farm, 3 and 4 star include certification of hatchery and/or feed. More commonly used in the Americas.
GlobalG.A.P. EcoScore 6.5
Comprehensive certification of crops, livestock and farmed fish Includes assessment of Environment, Social practices and Occupational health and safety, animal welfare, food safety and biosecurity Encompasses feed, hatchery, and farm More commonly used in Europe.
Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) SFC EcoScore 7.5
Comprehensive certification of wild fisheries Rigorous, transparent, multi-year process for accreditation Audited chain of custody Includes assessment of species population, environmental impact including by-catch and fishery management.
Monterey Bay Aquarium (MBA) Seafood Watch SFC EcoScore Green=7 (oysters and mussels 9), Yellow=4.7, Red=2.3
Based on scientific evaluation of wild fisheries and aquaculture, by region and catch/farming method Rates species as ‘Best Choice’ (green), ‘Good Alternative’ (yellow), and ‘Avoid’ (red). Also ‘Certified’ (blue) recognizes third party certifications such as MSC Rating can be different in the same area, depending on catch method A rating rather than a certification Includes assessment of species population, environmental impact including by-catch and fishery management. Maintain a very useful online tool and mobile app for looking up your fish.
Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative (GSSI) SFC EcoScore 7.5
Aims to build alignment on seafood sustainability Benchmarking tool evaluates and recognizes other certifications, underpinned by UN FAO guidelines GSSI recognized certifications include Alaska Responsible Fisheries Management (RFM), Iceland Responsible Fisheries Management (IRFM), MSC, BAP, GlobalG.A.P., ASC and others
Friend of the Sea SFC EcoScore 7.25
Certification for wild capture fisheries and aquaculture as well as other products. Annual audits by independent international certification bodies. Evaluation against environmental sustainability and social accountability criteria
Fair Trade SFC EcoScore 5.5
Certification focused on ensuring benefits of trade are share equitably through the supply chain For seafood, predominantly small producers in capture fisheries Includes some environmental standards
Fishery Improvement Project (FIP) SFC EcoScore 6
A wild fishery may have some issues now, but a FIP is a structured action plan to address these issues. Comprehensive FIPs are frequently targeted at working towards MSC certification, but basic FIPs may be smaller scope based on one or two specific issues
FIPs report annually, and are graded based on progress being made The most comprehensive list of FIPs can be found at fisheryprogress.org
What is the difference between a Certification & Rating? Certification programs offer a chain of custody and traceability standard on sustainability claims, whereas a rating system does not. Generally, fishery assessments in certification programs are conducted by independent accredited certification bodies as opposed to scientists selected by the rating system body. Wild-capture certification programs offer transparency and stakeholder engagement during the assessment process, whereas rating systems typically do not.
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