Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative

Last updated
Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative
Formation2013;10 years ago (2013)
TypeNon-governmental organization
FocusSustainable seafood
Headquarters Haarlem, Netherlands
Website www.ourgssi.org

The Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative (GSSI) is a non-governmental organization that works to advocate for sustainable seafood through public-private partnerships. [1] [2] [3]

Contents

Background

Established in 2013 and headquartered in the Netherlands, [4] the GSSI is a partner with the United Nations, Food and Agriculture Organization, United Nations Industrial Development Organization, government agencies, NGOs, and seafood companies around the world. [5] [6] [7] The mission of the organization is to "ensure confidence in the supply and promotion of certified seafood as well as promote improvement efforts in seafood sustainability globally." [8] [9] GSSI maintains a global benchmark tool which provides formal recognition of the various seafood certification programs around the world. [10] [11] [12] In 2021, the organization was a signatory to the Shanghai Declaration on Aquaculture for Food and Sustainable Development. [13]

See also

Related Research Articles

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Aquaculture, also known as aquafarming, is the controlled cultivation ("farming") of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, mollusks, algae and other organisms of value such as aquatic plants. Aquaculture involves cultivating freshwater, brackish water and saltwater populations under controlled or semi-natural conditions, and can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is the harvesting of wild fish. Mariculture, commonly known as marine farming, refers specifically to aquaculture practiced in seawater habitats and lagoons, as opposed to freshwater aquaculture. Pisciculture is a type of aquaculture that consists of fish farming to obtain fish products as food.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Food and Agriculture Organization</span> Specialised agency of the United Nations

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger and improve nutrition and food security. Its Latin motto, fiat panis, translates to "let there be bread". It was founded on 16 October 1945.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fishery</span> Raising or harvesting fish

Fishery can mean either the enterprise of raising or harvesting fish and other aquatic life or, more commonly, the site where such enterprise takes place. Commercial fisheries include wild fisheries and fish farms, both in freshwater waterbodies and the oceans. About 500 million people worldwide are economically dependent on fisheries. 171 million tonnes of fish were produced in 2016, but overfishing is an increasing problem, causing declines in some populations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Overfishing</span> Removal of a species of fish from water at a rate that the species cannot replenish

Overfishing is the removal of a species of fish from a body of water at a rate greater than that the species can replenish its population naturally, resulting in the species becoming increasingly underpopulated in that area. Overfishing can occur in water bodies of any sizes, such as ponds, wetlands, rivers, lakes or oceans, and can result in resource depletion, reduced biological growth rates and low biomass levels. Sustained overfishing can lead to critical depensation, where the fish population is no longer able to sustain itself. Some forms of overfishing, such as the overfishing of sharks, has led to the upset of entire marine ecosystems. Types of overfishing include: growth overfishing, recruitment overfishing, ecosystem overfishing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fishing industry</span> Economic branch

The fishing industry includes any industry or activity that takes, cultures, processes, preserves, stores, transports, markets or sells fish or fish products. It is defined by the Food and Agriculture Organization as including recreational, subsistence and commercial fishing, as well as the related harvesting, processing, and marketing sectors. The commercial activity is aimed at the delivery of fish and other seafood products for human consumption or as input factors in other industrial processes. The livelihood of over 500 million people in developing countries depends directly or indirectly on fisheries and aquaculture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ecolabel</span> Labeling systems for food and consumer products

Ecolabels and Green Stickers are labeling systems for food and consumer products. The use of ecolabels is voluntary, whereas green stickers are mandated by law; for example, in North America major appliances and automobiles use Energy Star. They are a form of sustainability measurement directed at consumers, intended to make it easy to take environmental concerns into account when shopping. Some labels quantify pollution or energy consumption by way of index scores or units of measurement, while others assert compliance with a set of practices or minimum requirements for sustainability or reduction of harm to the environment. Many ecolabels are focused on minimising the negative ecological impacts of primary production or resource extraction in a given sector or commodity through a set of good practices that are captured in a sustainability standard. Through a verification process, usually referred to as "certification", a farm, forest, fishery, or mine can show that it complies with a standard and earn the right to sell its products as certified through the supply chain, often resulting in a consumer-facing ecolabel.

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Sustainable seafood is seafood that is caught or farmed in ways that consider the long-term vitality of harvested species and the well-being of the oceans, as well as the livelihoods of fisheries-dependent communities. It was first promoted through the sustainable seafood movement which began in the 1990s. This operation highlights overfishing and environmentally destructive fishing methods. Through a number of initiatives, the movement has increased awareness and raised concerns over the way our seafood is obtained.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Friend of the Sea</span> Sustainable seafood organization

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The Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) is a private organization working as a "coalition of action" from the Consumer Goods Forum (CGF), bringing together retailers and brand owners (manufacturers) from across the CGF membership, operating under multistakeholder governance, with the objective to create "an extended food safety community to oversee food safety standards for businesses and help provide access to safe food for people everywhere". GFSI's work in benchmarking and harmonisation aims to foster mutual acceptance of GFSI-recognized certification programmes across the industry, with the ambition to enable a "once certified, accepted everywhere" approach.

SeaChoice is an environmental advocacy group based in Canada. Launched in 2006, SeaChoice was created to increase consumer awareness around seafood sustainability in Canada. For 10 years, its primary goal was shifting seafood procurement to more sustainable options, with a focus on seafood suppliers and Canadian retailers. Having made significant progress in the retail landscape between 2006 and 2016, with many of their retail partners meeting their sustainable seafood commitments, SeaChoice set a new goal to increase sustainability throughout the entire seafood supply chain, from water to table.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Committee on Sustainability Assessment</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Living Oceans Society</span> Canadian environmental organization

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue economy</span> Economy based on exploitation and preservation of the marine environment

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Gfresh is a global online business-to business seafood marketplace with integrated shipping, payment, customs and quality assurance services.

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EcoAgriculture Partners is a non-profit organization that develops and implements integrated landscape management strategies for sustainable agriculture, food security, livelihood improvement, climate change mitigation and adaptation and biodiversity conservation. The organization is based in Washington D.C. and operates internationally.

References

  1. Bush, Simon R.; Oosterveer, Peter (2019-01-08). Governing Sustainable Seafood. Routledge. ISBN   978-1-317-70246-7.
  2. Pradhan, Naresh C.; Cai, Junning; Stohs, Stephen M. (2020-11-06). Seafood Sustainability - Series I. MDPI. ISBN   978-3-03936-294-3.
  3. Savage, Steven. "How Sustainable Farming On Land And Sea Can Work Together To Meet Our Growing Need For Protein". Forbes. Retrieved 2023-10-08.
  4. "A Global Partnership supporting the operationalization of internationally agreed codes and guidelines for the seafood sector | Department of Economic and Social Affairs". sdgs.un.org. Retrieved 2023-10-08.
  5. "Our Partners". GSSI. Retrieved 2023-10-08.
  6. The Role of Certification in Rewarding Sustainable Fishing: Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, United States Senate, One Hundred Thirteenth Congress, First Session. U.S. Government Printing Office. 2014.
  7. THE 2030 AGENDA AND THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS: THE CHALLENGE FOR AQUACULTURE DEVELOPMENT AND MANAGEMENT. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. 2018. ISBN   978-92-5-109928-5.
  8. "What we do". GSSI. Retrieved 2023-10-08.
  9. Yang, Tseming; Telesetsky, Anastasia; Harmon-Walker, Lin; Percival, Robert V. (2019-09-13). Comparative and Global Environmental Law and Policy. Aspen Publishing. ISBN   978-1-5438-1518-4.
  10. "Benchmarking". GSSI. Retrieved 2023-10-08.
  11. SEAFOOD CERTIFICATION AND DEVELOPING COUNTRIES:: FOCUS ON ASIA. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. 2018. ISBN   978-92-5-109993-3.
  12. Develle, Laurent (2023-05-19). "How the GSSI's Seafood MAP is supporting sustainable seafood". The Fish Site. Retrieved 2023-10-08.
  13. Report of the Global Conference on Aquaculture for Food and Sustainable Development: Shanghai, the People's Republic of China, 22–25 September 2021. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. 2022-04-08. ISBN   978-92-5-135986-0.