Responsible Fisheries Workshop Athenaeum Club, London June 9 th 2008

1. Responsible Fisheries WorkshopAthenaeum Club, LondonJune 9th 2008 Documentation of responsible fisheries: International developments and the Icelandic project for certification and labelling Dr. Kristján Thórarinsson Population Ecologist The Federation of Icelandic Fishing vessel Owners

2. Organisation of presentation • Recent proposals regarding FAO guidelines II. Organisation and progress of the Icelandic project

3. Recent proposals regarding FAO guidelines

4. Report of theExpert Consultation on the FAO Guidelinesfor Ecolabelling for Capture FisheriesRome, 3–5 March 2008Presentation byDr. Kristján ThorarinssonChair of Expert Consultation COFI FT Bremen, June 2008

5. Background (1 of 2) • Ecolabelling discussed in the FAO since 1997. • Following the Technical Consultations in 2004 and 2005, FAO produced Guidelines for the Ecolabelling of Fish and Fishery Products from Marine Capture Fisheries. • Those guidelines were adopted by COFI in 2005.

6. Background (2 of 2) • In adopting the guidelines, COFI recommended that • FAO should review and further develop general criteria in relation to • ‘stock under consideration’ and • serious impacts of the fishery on the ecosystem.

7. ANDREW, Neil BANDALA MEDINA, Maria T. BUTTERWORTH, Douglas S. GITONGA, Nancy (Vice-Chair) KOLDING, Jeppe MACFARLANE, Alastair MURAWSKI, Steven NINNES, Chris NISHIMURA, Masashi SANCHEZ, Ramiro Pedro SAINSBURY, K. John THORARINSSON, Kristján (Chair) FAO: NOMURA, COCHRANE, VALDIMARSSON, WILLMANN, EMERSON, JORGENSEN, MAGUIRE, VAN LIERDE. Expert consultation participants

8. Management systems Proposed new criteria: • Total fishing mortality from all sources is considered ... • Management targets are consistent with achieving MSY (or a suitable proxy) on average ... • ... should specify limits or directions in key performance indicators, consistent with avoiding recruitment overfishing ...

9. Stocks under consideration:Criteria proposed • The“stock under consideration” is not overfished if it is above the associated limit reference point ... • If fishing mortality (or its proxy) is above the associated limit reference point, actions should be taken to decrease the fishing mortality ... • The structure and composition of the “stock under consideration” which contribute to its resilience are taken into account. • ... generic evidence based on similar stocks can be used for fisheries with low risk to that “stock under consideration”...

10. Ecosystem considerations • Guidelines specify general approach but contain no criteria. • The expert consultation proposed new criteria. • The proposed criteria address: • non-target catches, including discards; • the role of the stock in the food-web; • essential habitats; • the use of generic evidence.

11. Single set of Guidelines -- a variety of technical approaches to meeting the same requirements • The Expert Consultation agreed that further guidance on assessment of fisheries in data poor situations is necessary, including application of risk assessment methods in such situations. • The Expert Consultation recommended that FAO develop technical guidelines on the application of risk assessment methods in the context of ecolabelling of data poor fisheries.

12. A good track record recognised • “A past record of good management performance could be considered as supporting evidence of the adequacy of the management measures and the management system.” • This may be of particular relevance in data poor situations.

13. II. Organisation and progress of the Icelandic project

14. Updated slide form last year’s workshop:What is Iceland doing? • Not attracted to existing labels √ • Website www.fisheries.is√ • Declaration concerning management system and measures in preparation (done)√ • Work towards explicit standard underway (draft standard/specification based on FAO guidelines has been prepared)√ • Certification according to standard is being considered (decision has been made)√ • This meeting √ • Logo design is underway

15. Project organisational structure • The board of The Fisheries Association of Iceland has overall responsibility. • Management and policy direction provided by dedicated working group appointed by the board; • K.Th. is chair of working group. • Day to day project management by Mr. Finnur Garðarsson in collaboration with working group.

16. Proper certification is not scientific research, fisheries advice or fisheries management • Certification is not marine research nor is it fisheries advice; • certification includes verification that research and fisheries advice is based on generally accepted methodology, e.g. by reference to the competent international organisations. • Certification and ecolabelling is not fisheries management • fisheries management remains the task of the competent authorities. • Certification entails, i.a., third party verification of government fisheries management performance which facilitates market access for seafood. • Do authorities meet the commitments that they themselves have made in international fora?

17. The role of fisheries companies • The company: • has all required permits and fulfills all requirements of the control agencies; • limits its fishing operations to catching its own share of the TAC; • internal control of company’s catch quotas; • the product comes from that catch. • Traceability system ensures that the product is from the certified stock.

18. Objective • Certification and ecolabelling are some of the tools in our efforts to inform buyers, consumers and others in market countries about responsible fisheries in Iceland. • The objective of the project is • to create a tool for demonstrating that products come from responsible fisheries.  

19. Necessary elements • To achieve this objective it is necessary: • To set specification requirements, based on the FAO guidelines, that are at least as demanding overall as those of other rational and objective labels; • To ensure the credibility of certification through employing an internationally recognised, accredited certification body; • To ensure credible traceability; • To participate actively in the international discussion and debate and represent the Icelandic position; • To provide information on responsible fisheries in Iceland to buyers, media and the general public in market countries.

20. Recap: Updated slide form last year’s workshop:What is Iceland doing? • Not attracted to existing labels √ • Website www.fisheries.is√ • Declaration concerning management system and measures in preparation (done)√ • Work towards explicit standard underway (draft standard/specification based on FAO guidelines has been prepared)√ • Certification according to standard is being considered (decision has been made)√ • This meeting √ • Logo design underway√

21. Thank you for your attention!