KOCHI: India is expected to enter the global fisheries certification process by the end of 2025, said Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) fisheries standard accessibility head Amanda Lejbowicz on Monday. She was speaking at the capacity building workshop hosted by the Sustainable Seafood Network India (SSNI) in Kochi.
Amanda said the country is making remarkable progress towards sustainable fisheries with most of the prioritised species nearing the completion of fishery improvement projects (FIPs).
This is critical for assessing the fishery against the standard of MSC certification, which include sustainable stock levels, minimal environmental impact, and effective fishery management systems. Marine scientists, government officials, environmentalists, certification experts and exporters attended the workshop.
“The demand for certified seafood has witnessed a significant surge in the global markets. Over 15% of the total marine catch across the globe are certified fishery. Certified seafood products in different forms such as canned, chilled, frozen and baby foods are on the rise with canned products registering 9% increase in demand last year. In India, a dozen prioritised fisheries have already conducted pre-assessments against the MSC standards, enabling stakeholders to develop clear action plans for improvement,” said Amanda.