New Catch Certificates to Prevent Illegal Fishing
This dried cod from Lofoten, Norway will benefit from the new CDS regulations. (Photo: Jean Gaumy/Norges Sjømatråd)
The UN’s Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) has recently agreed on new global guidelines for catch certificates for seafood. The goal is to prevent international trade with illegally caught fish.
The UN’s Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) has recently agreed on new global guidelines for catch certificates for seafood. The goal is to prevent international trade with illegally caught fish.
The EU is among the major seafood importers of the world that use catch certificates to make sure seafood imported from abroad is caught legally. Norwegian Fisheries Minister Per Sandberg says it is important that the catch certificates are transparent, clear and do not prevent unnecessary trade barriers.
- New, international tools makes us better equipped to prevent illegally caught fish from entering into the markets, Sandberg says in a press statement.
The FAO adopted the new voluntary guidelines for catch documentation schemes (CDS) in July this year, following a Norwegian initiative dating back to 2012.