Following delays, Indian seafood exporters are continuing their work to obtain Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certifications for several wild-capture fisheries in the country.
Since 2019, exporters in the South Asian nation have implemented various fishery improvement projects (FIPs) aimed at improving sustainability within India’s fisheries and achieving MSC certification, according to MSC India Consultant Ranjit Suseelan.
The FIPs, which involve species such as shrimp, cuttlefish, blue swimming crab, threadfin bream, and squid, have encountered delays ranging from one to two years each, partly due to Covid-19 lockdowns and delays in securing an agreement with the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), which is crucial to implementing many FIP activities, Suseelan said.
At least one Indian FIP is expected to enter full assessment against the MSC Fisheries Standard by the end of this year, Suseelan said. If this occurs, independent auditors will carry out an evaluation process to check whether the FIP meets requirements set by the standard. Certification will be granted if the final results of the assessment are positive.
India’s current FIPs are mainly funded by Indian seafood exporters, who are members of the Seafood Exporters Association of India (SEAI), indicating an increase in the demand from global markets of certified seafood products from India. The FIPs have received support from the national and state governments in India, along with additional funding from MSC’s Ocean Stewardship Fund.
Certifications help exporters strengthen their position in existing markets and expand into new ones, Suseelan said...
