Ecolabels
In generating awareness about the importance of sustainable fisheries among consumers in developed countries, it is important to tie this into economic markets by establishing an ecolabel that is stamped onto fish that has been harvested from a fishery with good practices. By distinguishing sustainably-caught fish from fish that is harvested from declining stocks, we can encourage consumers to support companies that work to maintain the fisheries instead of exploiting them. The success of ecolabels can be seen in the current market for organic and fair trade products.
As of right now there are several groups that "certify" and put a label on sustainable fish, the most prominent of which is the Marine Stewardship Council, an independent, non-profit organization based in the UK. Established in 1999 as a joint effort between industry (Unilever) and conservation (WWF), the MSC has certified 857 products as of September 2007 (MSC 2007). We believe it would prove more effective to have one organization the designated labeling organization. This way the group could gain global trust and standardized labels could be provided for easy recognition of the meaning of the ecolabel.
Also, if producers want to have their fish evaluated and certified, there is a cost barrier that bars out small fishing companies who cannot afford to apply for certification. Since a substantial portion of the fish sold in the U.S. canned tuna, perhaps focusing on labeling tuna that is caught in sustainable fisheries is the first step.
As for actual design of the ecolabels, we propose a three tier system, consisting of red, yellow, and green labels. The red label will indicate a product from an unhealthy, unsustainable population which if possible should not be eaten. The yellow and green labels will indicate fish that are being fished in a sustainable manner with the difference being that they yellow labeled fish come from populations that have not yet completely recovered while the green labeled fish come from populations that have reached half of caring capacity and are being fished at or slightly below maximum sustainable yield. We would encourage choosing green labeled fish over those with yellow labels, and strongly discourage any consumption of red labeled fish.
Are we integrating this with taxes and subsidies? If so, we should move this section to International Cooperation. And WHO is responsible for this section?
-- (2007). "About MSC." Retrieved on November 18, 2007, from http://www.msc.org/html/content_462.htm
Someone needs to go through this information:
http://oregonstate.edu/dept/IIFET/2000/papers/donath.pdf
http://www.uri.edu/cels/enre/docs_CRoheim/ecolabel.pdf
http://www.msc.org/assets/docs/fishery_certification/InfoSheet4_Costs.pdf
also, see attachments for economic analysis on the dolphin safe issue