The International Association of Seafood Professionals (IAFI) on Thursday announced that it plans to establish an independent Seafood Standards Equivalence Committee.
The initiative, which would cover fishery, aquaculture and supply-chain standards, aims to create a balance of clarity and expertise to the formal review of seafood certification standards and remove confusion caused by a proliferation of reports.
IAFI is forming a working group that will report on stakeholder feedback, the proposed equivalency process and the feasibility of the Seafood Standards Equivalence Committee at the IAFI World Seafood Congress in Washington, D.C., in early October.
The association is also seeking and collecting opinions and inputs from all interested parties before the final report is collated and presented.
“This initiative will be a collaboration between some of the world’s leading seafood standards and management experts from fishery and aquaculture science, NGO, certification, accreditation and standards conformity, retail, manufacturer and foodservice companies, as well as service providers associated with the seafood supply chain,” said IAFI President Mike Dillon.
The IAFI is exhibiting at next week’s European Seafood Exposition in Brussels.
