Webinar on sustainable aquatic food value chains: Ecolabelling and small-scale fisheries

Summary

UNCTAD and FAO convened a three-part virtual webinar series on “Sustainable aquatic food value chains: Ecolabelling and small-scale fisheries (SSF)”. More than 280 experts and participants examined a persistent paradox: ecolabelling systems promoted as pathways to sustainable trade do not always translate into market access for the fisheries that most depend on it. The discussions supported SDG target 14.b, which calls for providing small-scale artisanal fishers access to marine resources and markets.

SSF are central to aquatic food systems. They supply about 40 per cent of global capture production and sustain livelihoods for nearly 500 million people when accounting for fishers, women involved in processing and marketing, and other actors along the value chain. For many coastal communities, fishing is also a way of life that underpins food security and local identity. A major theme was whether the current sustainability architecture is designed to include small-scale operators.

With more than 40 private standards in fisheries and aquaculture and around 30 mandatory due diligence initiatives worldwide, voluntary sustainability standards (VSS) certification is increasingly used as a compliance tool, not only as a market label. Yet the costs associated with ecolabelling including audits, traceability systems, documentation and reporting, often fall on those with the least bargaining power. Participants also noted that price premiums are uncertain and, when they exist, do not consistently reach SSFs.

Speakers from certification initiatives shared lessons from experience. For example, the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) reported that SSFs represent roughly 18 per cent of its certified fisheries, with examples in Latin America. However, the biggest hurdle is frequently not initial alignment with requirements, but maintaining certification over time, given recurring costs and administrative burdens. Japan’s Marine Eco-Label (MEL) representative  highlighted how schemes rooted in cooperative management and local data can reduce entry barriers. The Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative (GSSI) emphasized that many standards still focus primarily on environmental performance, while social dimensions such as labour rights, community resilience and gender equality, need stronger integration.

The webinar series also showcased alternatives and complementary pathways that can support sustainability while improving inclusion. UNCTAD presented its Blue BioTrade strategy in the Eastern Caribbean on queen conch (Strombus gigas), linking trade and investment to environmental, social and economic principles, benefit sharing and practical tools for fishers to track progress and strengthen compliance with CBD and CITES requirements. Other speakers highlighted ecosystem-based management approaches, locally recognized labels and regionally developed certification models designed around the realities of artisanal production.

Participants converged on a set of actionable priorities. First, they encouraged FAO, supported by UNCTAD, to develop practical guidance tailored to small-scale fisheries, reflecting limited data availability and institutional capacity in many contexts. Second, they underlined the importance of recognizing credible national and regional schemes as viable alternatives to global labels. Third, on the market side, buyers were urged to reward credible improvement pathways, recognizing that fisheries improvement processes can be as important as full certification for driving change.

Finally, discussions reaffirmed that sustainability instruments deliver for SSF only when enabling conditions are in place. These include secure fishing and tenure rights, recognition of traditional knowledge, adequate cold-chain and landing infrastructure, effective catch documentation and traceability, and producer organizations able to represent fishers’ interests. Participants called for targeted financial support such as grants, stewardship funds and loan guarantees, to help communities cover the costs of improving practices and, where appropriate, meeting standards and pursuing certification.

A closing roundtable on 13 May, drawing on experiences from Asia, Latin America, Africa and Europe, concluded that private ecolabelling and related certification systems alone cannot carry the burden of sustainability and inclusion. Progress requires shared responsibility across governments, businesses, communities and consumers so that fair prices and supportive policies reflect the real costs of sustainable small-scale fisheries.