| Challenges for world fish trade |
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File:  Publish Date: 04/04/2010 |
| Global fisheries continue to set new records. Production has risen to new levels thanks to aquaculture, which is fast approaching 50 percent in its contribution of fish for human consumption. World fish consumption has reached a new record of 17.4 kg per capita and trade is approaching US$100 billion. The EU, USA and Japan are the main fish importers, however, the importance of the Russian Federation as a fish importing country is growing impressively.
However, despite this good news, the big problems in fisheries remain largely the same, namely: ineffective mechanisms to manage capture fisheries; negative environmental effects of fishing and aquaculture; and IUU fishing. Considerable work is being done on many fronts to address these problems with positive results, inter alia in the Sub-Committee on Fish Trade.
Trade is not only dynamic, but also involves numerous actors and stakeholders, from the point of production all the way through to the final consumer. Its complexity is increasing, with more and more issues becoming linked to trade in one way or another. And in response to perceived consumer demands, retailers are setting new environmental goals and standards for their suppliers. One such example is ecolabels. The ecolabelling guidelines adopted by COFI in 2006 provide a reference point to ensure that ecolabelling schemes follow specific criteria. |
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