State of Sustainability Initiatives Review: STANDARDS AND THE BLUE ECONOMY

The report analyzes the growth and effectiveness of voluntary sustainability standards (VSS) in the seafood industry, noting that certified production grew from 0.5% of global production in 2003 to 14% in 2015. While wild catch certification is dominated by the MSC and FOS, aquaculture certification is led by GLOBALG.A.P. and ASC. The analysis reveals a strong emphasis on environmental criteria, particularly ecosystem integrity, but a significant lack of social and economic requirements, especially in wild catch fisheries. Governance is characterized by a high concentration of developed-country and male representation on boards, and a general lack of responsiveness to smallholder needs. The report argues that while VSS provide essential traceability and assurance, their ability to drive comprehensive sustainability depends on public investment in infrastructure and the alignment of trade policies, such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership, with sustainability goals.

• Certified sustainable seafood production experienced rapid growth between 2003 and 2015, increasing from 500,000 metric tons (0.5% of global production) to 23 million metric tons (14% of global production), growing at a rate of 35% per annum.
• Certified seafood production is highly concentrated geographically; five countries—Peru, the United States, Norway, Chile, and Russia—account for two-thirds of total certified production.
• Certified seafood is concentrated in a few high-value species groups; anchoveta, cod, salmon, tuna, and mackerel represent 72% of certified production, despite these groups making up only 15% of total global seafood production.
• Wild catch certification is dominated by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and Friend of the Sea (FOS), which together account for 80% of the total certified seafood market and 20% of total wild catch production.
• Certified aquaculture is growing faster than certified wild catch, with an annual growth rate of 76% compared to the wild catch rate, and is expected to dominate future growth due to the absence of stock assessment barriers.
• Environmental criteria are the most emphasized in seafood standards, with a high average coverage of ecosystem integrity (88% for wild catch and 80% for aquaculture), while greenhouse gas and energy management are extremely rare.
• Social criteria are significantly underdeveloped in the wild catch sector (average coverage of 35%) compared to the aquaculture sector (57%), with a notable absence of requirements for positive employee benefits and maternity rights.
• Economic requirements are generally low across both sectors, averaging 13% for wild catch and 25% for aquaculture, as the prevailing theory is that economic benefits result from compliance rather than being a precondition for it.
• Traceability and third-party certification are nearly universal, with eight of nine initiatives requiring both identity preservation and segregation along the supply chain.
• Governance of these initiatives is heavily skewed toward developed-country stakeholders and men, with very low representation of developing-country interests on boards.
• The expansion of wild catch certification is threatened by a lack of data, as comprehensive stock assessments exist for only 17% to 25% of the global catch.
• Voluntary standards may serve as a critical tool for demonstrating compliance with new trade agreements like the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), which requires the elimination of IUU fishing and unsustainable subsidies.

APA

Potts, J., Wilkings, A., Lynch, M., & McFatridge, S. (2016). State of Sustainability Initiatives Review: STANDARDS AND THE BLUE ECONOMY. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/sites/default/files/publications/ssi-blue-economy-2016.pdf

Chicago

Potts, Jason, Ann Wilkings, Matthew Lynch, and Scott McFatridge. State of Sustainability Initiatives Review: STANDARDS AND THE BLUE ECONOMY. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2016. https://www.iisd.org/sites/default/files/publications/ssi-blue-economy-2016.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Potts |first1=Jason |last2=Wilkings |first2=Ann |last3=Lynch |first3=Matthew |last4=McFatridge |first4=Scott |title=State of Sustainability Initiatives Review: STANDARDS AND THE BLUE ECONOMY |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=2016 |url=https://www.iisd.org/sites/default/files/publications/ssi-blue-economy-2016.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{potts2016state, author = {Potts, Jason and Wilkings, Ann and Lynch, Matthew and McFatridge, Scott}, title = {{State of Sustainability Initiatives Review: STANDARDS AND THE BLUE ECONOMY}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2016}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/sites/default/files/publications/ssi-blue-economy-2016.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }