Fact file: Informing consumers. Towards clearer and more precise fish labelling

A recent report by the European Commission points out that, of the hundred or so species exploited in the North Atlantic, the number in danger of extinction has been brought down from 23 in 2003 to 14 today. There is still room for improvement though, which is why the Commission proposes to reform the common fisheries policy. This process is expected to be completed by 2013.

A major part of the reform challenge will be not only to come to the aid of the sector to ensure a smooth transition towards sustainability, but also to restore the prestige of Europe’s fish as a resource that has been caught in a responsible manner.

Consumers have real power. With their decisions to buy or not to buy, they can pressure the sector, pushing it towards more sustainable exploitation of resources. Consumers increasingly wish to be sure about the quality of fish in terms of freshness and hygiene, but also about whether it was caught without contributing to overfishing and the collapse of stocks. In short, they want to be assured that the fish they eat have been caught in line with their ecological and ethical values.

So consumers have to be informed by means of fair, transparent and verifiable labels. That is why the new common fisheries policy plans to make significant progress in the area of information to consumers. These advances are already in the works.

New enforcement rules, for example, particularly those that extend traceability requirements to the point of catch or breeding zone, will make product traceability easier and better from January 2011.

The Commission also plans to improve and flesh out existing labelling requirements. Many acknowledge that these requirements are not widely respected and that labels are hard to understand and to read. Sustainable fisheries labels represent an option that supplements mandatory labelling to help enlighten consumers’ choices.

All these initiatives aim to guarantee greater transparency in the way the fisheries sector presents and delivers its products to consumers, who are right to be concerned about the sustainability of fisheries. More and more consumers want to be responsible in their choices and key players in the bid to make fisheries more sustainable.