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About 10 Indian marine and saline food and shrimp varieties are acceptable to get the planetary Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification soon. The archetypal batch is acceptable to beryllium submitted for the certification successful 2026.
According to experts, the certification is apt to summation the gross of the fisheries assemblage by 30% and assistance fishermen and traders find caller markets different than the U.S. successful the lawsuit of further commercialized restrictions owed to the higher tariffs. The certification volition besides assistance sportfishing communities statesman ecologically sustainable sportfishing practices and guarantee dependable incomes.
Fisheries Development Commissioner K. Mohammed Koya told The Hindu that the Union Government, nether the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), would subsidise the certification process, which is done by third-party auditors.
Mr. Koya said that planetary affluent markets, specified arsenic European and Japanese ones, are looking for sustainably sourced fish. “Sustainability is portion of our fisheries. Some of our food varieties whitethorn not instantly suffice for sustainable segregations, but galore of the varieties are amenable to certification. Once we re-certify the fish, the advantages that we get see entree to the champion markets. It is simply a mode of certifying the food truthful that it gets a amended price,” helium said.
Experts said the certification process is successful its last stages and they are addressing the method gaps, including banal assessments for shrimp, squid, cuttlefish and octopus, which are portion of the caller varieties that await MSC certification. It is chiefly based connected the Food and Agriculture Organisation’s (FAO) Code of Conduct for Responsible Fishing and Guidelines for the Eco-labelling of Fish and Fishery Products from Marine Capture Fisheries.
Speaking precocious astatine a method league jointly hosted by the MSC and the Sustainable Seafood Network India (SSNI) and the Seafood Exporters Association of India (SEAI), MSC’s India caput Ranjit Suseelan said the prioritised fisheries are successful the precocious stages of assessment, raising expectations of MSC certification successful the adjacent year.
Gillnet-caught bluish swimming crab, trawl-caught karikadi shrimp, trawl-caught Indian nylon shrimp (Deep Sea Shrimp), trawl-caught Indian nylon shrimp (two types), trawl-caught Indian squid, trawl-caught poovalan shrimp, trawl-caught pharaoh cuttlefish, trawl-caught webfoot octopus, trawl-caught angiosperm shrimp, and thread fin bream fishery are the varieties presently nether the fisheries betterment task of the MSC.
Other than this, six taxon of Grouper food from Kanyakumari, pole-and-line-caught skipjack tuna from Lakshadweep Islands, trap-caught spiny lobster from Kanyakumari, trawl-caught angiosperm shrimp from the Gulf of Mannar, gillnet-caught lipid sardine from Kollam, Kerala, Ashtamudi-clam from Kerala and gillnet-caught Mud crab and scylla serrata from Odisha’s Chilka Lake are the caller fisheries aiming for certification.
Mr. Suseelan said MSC-certified products often fetch a terms premium of up to 30% successful planetary markets, boosting India’s seafood export potential. Seafood exporters consciousness that specified certifications volition assistance India flooded commercialized barriers successful planetary markets. “Eco-labels and sustainability certifications assistance heighten acceptance among consumers with a beardown marketplace penetration. This volition boost India’s bargaining powerfulness successful the planetary commercialized of seafood”, Abraham Tharakan of SEAI said.
Dr. Sunil Mohamed, Chairman of the SSNI, said it is simply a market-driven statement certification, known arsenic an eco-label which is voluntary and ensures sutainability successful the sector. “20% of planetary fisheries are MSC certified astatine present. Ashtamudi clam was the archetypal assortment to get MSC certification and one was lapsed. it’s going to beryllium re- certified now. This certification volition guarantee that determination is capable banal of helium food truthful that the fishery tin beryllium continued,” helium said.
