Seafood Traceability Practitioner's Workshop: Exploring Programs from Design to Implementation Summary Report

The report details a workshop focused on the design and implementation of seafood traceability programs. It compares the EU's catch certificate scheme and the U.S. Seafood Import Monitoring Program (SIMP), highlighting the shift from paper-based systems to digital interoperability. Key discussions centered on the challenges faced by small-scale fishers, the need for standardized Key Data Elements (KDEs), and the potential of technologies like blockchain and the Global Business Identifier (GBI) to enhance supply chain transparency and combat IUU fishing.

• The European Union's catch certificate scheme, established in 2010, is primarily vulnerable because it is "paper-based, which facilitates increased errors and the use of fraudulent documents." To address this, the EU is developing CATCH, a real-time database for digital data exchange and catch certificate documentation.
• The U.S. Seafood Import Monitoring Program (SIMP), fully implemented in 2018, differs from the EU system by using an audit system rather than catch certificates, placing liability on importers. Future goals for SIMP include "additional data analysis (including automated data analysis)" and creating a repository of foreign laws to encourage standardization.
• Small-scale fishers face significant barriers to traceability compliance due to "unequal access to capital, markets, infrastructure, and technology," as well as the high time and financial costs involved. Participants suggested that open-source technology could help developing nations bridge this gap because such platforms "do not require licensing and come at a significantly lower cost."
• Digital interoperability and the use of standardized Key Data Elements (KDEs) and Critical Tracking Events (CTEs) are identified as essential for the future of verification. The goal is to move toward the "integration of government requirements and databases with industry systems" to reduce reliance on labor-intensive paper documentation.
• The U.S. Government is developing the Global Business Identifier (GBI) Initiative to create a "common language" between industry and government. The GBI aims to uniquely identify legal entities, ownership, and supply chain roles to improve risk assessments and facilitate legal trade, with a pilot project planned for April 2022.
• The Seafood Alliance for Legality and Traceability (SALT) promotes electronic catch documentation and traceability (eCDT) principles to benefit developing countries. SALT has implemented projects including blockchain traceability for tuna in the Philippines and coordination of traceability efforts in Peru.
• Industry practitioners emphasize that while digitization is the future, success depends on "supplier commitment" and the willingness to share high-quality data. Adopting the Global Dialogue on Seafood Traceability (GDST) Standard is suggested as a way to standardize KDEs and increase interoperability between partners.

APA

WWF International (2022). Seafood Traceability Practitioner's Workshop: Exploring Programs from Design to Implementation Summary Report. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/714/sy69tnxi2_NOAA_Stimson_WWF_Workshop_Report_FINAL.pdf

Chicago

WWF International. Seafood Traceability Practitioner's Workshop: Exploring Programs from Design to Implementation Summary Report. 2022. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/714/sy69tnxi2_NOAA_Stimson_WWF_Workshop_Report_FINAL.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF International |title=Seafood Traceability Practitioner's Workshop: Exploring Programs from Design to Implementation Summary Report |date=March 2022 |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/714/sy69tnxi2_NOAA_Stimson_WWF_Workshop_Report_FINAL.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfinternational2022seafood, author = {{WWF International}}, title = {{Seafood Traceability Practitioner's Workshop: Exploring Programs from Design to Implementation Summary Report}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2022}, month = mar, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/714/sy69tnxi2_NOAA_Stimson_WWF_Workshop_Report_FINAL.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }