Seafood Trade: Implications of WTO, IUU and Food Safety Controls Rebecca Lent Special Advisor World Bank
Dec 29, 2015
Seafood Trade: Implications of WTO, IUU and Food Safety
Controls
Rebecca LentSpecial AdvisorWorld Bank
OverviewImportance of international trade in seafood
Import measures related to:Seafood safetyEcological sustainabilityIUU fishing
WTO: Focus on subsidies
Outlook
International Trade in SeafoodWorld’s most heavily traded food commodityNearly 40% of all seafood tradedTrade and global processing centersIncreasing trend in south-to-north
Heavy dependence on importsIncreasing concern about food safety overallSome countries requiring certificates/on-site
inspectionRole of voluntary inspection Ensuring no technical barriers to trade – shifts
burden to exporting country
Import measures: Seafood Safety
Recent examplesCanada – animal health regulations limit some
live/uneviscerated fishChina – information requirements for wild and
farmed salmonKorea – prior listing for producers of fish heads, fish
entrails, roe and squid ink glandMultiple countries: requirement of certificates for
seafood inspection
Import measures:Ecological sustainability
Ensuring that import demand is not a driver in unsustainable ecological impacts of fishing
Most common for private certification/ecolabels, e.g. Marine Stewardship Council
Some unilateral measures:U.S. – Shark fishery management and marine
mammal bycatchJapan – working with seafood importers
Import measures:IUU fishing
Concern that import markets may be drivers of IUUJapan – working with importersUnited States – biennial report to Congress
identifying and certifying countries for IUUEuropean union – IUU catch certificate requirement
and related activitiesRFMOs – restrictions on imports for flag states based
on IUU fishing
World Trade OrganizationFocus on role of subsidies
Two-fold motivation:Leveling the playing fieldSubsidies vs. overcapitalization/overfishing
Negotiations on “disciplines” to avoid subsidies that contribute to overcapacity and overfishing
OutlookIncreased scrutiny on marine stewardshipRetailers may be keyNational, multilateral
and global effortsReminder
Global Partnership for Oceans