Shifting focus: The impacts of sustainable seafood certification

Abstract

Alongside government driven management initiatives to achieve sustainable fisheries management, there remains a role for market-based mechanisms to improve fisheries outcomes. Market-based mechanisms are intended to create positive economic incentives that improve the status and management of fisheries. Research to understand consumer demand for certified fish is central but needs to be mirrored by supply side understanding including why fisheries decide to gain or retain certification and the impact of certification on them and other stakeholders involved. We apply semi-structured interviews in seven different Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified fisheries that operate in (or from) Western Australia with the aim of better understanding fisheries sector participation in certification schemes (the supply side) and the impacts and unintended benefits and costs of certification. We find that any positive economic impacts of certification were only realised in a limited number of MSC fisheries in Western Australia, which may be explained by the fact that only a small proportion of Western Australian state-managed fisheries are sold with the MSC label and ex-vessel or consumer market price premiums are therefore mostly not obtained. Positive impacts of certification in these Western Australian fisheries are more of a social and institutional nature, for example, greater social acceptability and increased efficiency in the governance process respectively. However, opinion is divided on whether the combined non-monetary and monetary benefits outweigh the costs.

Barriers and Benefits Arising from the Adoption of Sustainable Certification for Smallholder Oil Palm Producers in Malaysia: A Systematic Review of Literature

“…One of the key drivers for obtaining sustainable certification was the inferred social license and thus the improved image that resulted in being a world leader in the palm oil industry. However, many smallholders were unaware or unsure about these benefits [20]. Some smallholder producers in Malaysia were found to lack the knowledge about the functionality of sustainable certification [21].…”

“…Although smallholders have been exposed to the importance of sustainable certification, many were still unclear about the actual function of MSPO certification, especially in rural areas. Smallholders were not receiving enough information about the certification process, often causing them to be confused by and less interested in sustainable certification [20]. Therefore, the Government of Malaysia, under the Ministry of Plantation Industries and Commodities (MPIC) through MPOB has channeled assistance to smallholders through the implementation of the Smallholder Palm Oil Replanting Scheme (TSSPK), the Smallholder New Palm Oil Planting Scheme (TBSPK) and the distribution of fertilizer [22].…”

“…Another social benefit gained by smallholders from sustainable certification was their ability to improve their quality management system [20,23]. Good management not only saves costs, but also saves the producers time, providing downstream customers with greater transparency.…”

“…Good management not only saves costs, but also saves the producers time, providing downstream customers with greater transparency. Smallholders also become more adept at socializing and communicating as well as developing a better understanding the negotiation process in agriculture [20,24]. As smallholder producers who have obtained sustainable certification usually meet more often with each other and with government, they have a greater appreciation of the market dynamics and the need for sustainable certification to meet downstream customers' expectations.…”

“…As smallholder producers who have obtained sustainable certification usually meet more often with each other and with government, they have a greater appreciation of the market dynamics and the need for sustainable certification to meet downstream customers' expectations. In addition to increasing their knowledge, social networks become stronger, often resulting in the emergence of informal smallholder group organizations, which are established to facilitate discussion among smallholder members [20,22,23,25].…”