Responsible Fishing Scheme tender issued as international rollout gathers momentum

A new not-for-profit organization is being sought by the U.K. Seafish authority to manage, operate and deliver the Responsible Fishing Scheme (RFS), including its international launch.  

An invitation to tender (ITT) has been published by Seafish in line with the European Union's public procurement rules and regulations. This ITT will remain open for a 30-day period from 2 October, with the contract award made in early December. 

The successful entity will have the right to generate income through the operation of the RFS but any surplus monies generated must be reinvested in growing the scheme or lowering costs to the benefit of its customers. Seafish will remain as the RFS standard owner and hold a seat on the board of the new entity.

“In line with requests from the U.K. supply chain, Seafish is fully committed to the internationalization of the RFS, but does not have the level of expertise or resources to help RFS reach its full potential globally. In the meantime, we are focused on growing RFS membership and support in the U.K.," said Libby Woodhatch, head of advocacy at Seafish.

A series of international pilots of the scheme are underway that will report back to the Seafish Board and the RFS Oversight Board by the end of this year. The results will contribute to a revision of the standard next year.

Relaunched by Seafish in January 2016, the RFS is a voluntary scheme that audits compliance on board commercial fishing vessels to certify best practices in responsible catching, as well as crew safety and welfare. 

There are currently 100 U.K. fishing vessels that are fully RFS certified.

Subscribe

Want seafood news sent to your inbox?

You may unsubscribe from our mailing list at any time. Diversified Communications | 121 Free Street, Portland, ME 04101 | +1 207-842-5500
None