Shifting focus: The impacts of sustainable seafood certification

C. Soregaroli; I. van Putten; C. Longo; A. Arton; M. Watson; C.M. Anderson; A. Himes-Cornell; C. Obregón; L. Robinson; T. van Steveninck

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0233237

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Shifting focus: The impacts of sustainable seafood certification

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Shifting focus: The impacts of sustainable seafood certification

C. Soregaroli, I. van Putten, C. Longo, A. Arton, M. Watson, C.M. Anderson, A. Himes-Cornell, C. Obregón, L. Robinson and T. van Steveninck

PLoS ONE, Vol.15(5), e0233237

2020

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0233237

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Abstract

Alongside government driven management initiatives to achieve sustainable fisheries management, there remains a role for market-based mechanisms to improve fisheries outcomes. Market-based mechanisms are intended to create positive economic incentives that improve the status and management of fisheries. Research to understand consumer demand for certified fish is central but needs to be mirrored by supply side understanding including why fisheries decide to gain or retain certification and the impact of certification on them and other stakeholders involved. We apply semi-structured interviews in seven different Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified fisheries that operate in (or from) Western Australia with the aim of better understanding fisheries sector participation in certification schemes (the supply side) and the impacts and unintended benefits and costs of certification. We find that any positive economic impacts of certification were only realised in a limited number of MSC fisheries in Western Australia, which may be explained by the fact that only a small proportion of Western Australian state-managed fisheries are sold with the MSC label and ex-vessel or consumer market price premiums are therefore mostly not obtained. Positive impacts of certification in these Western Australian fisheries are more of a social and institutional nature, for example, greater social acceptability and increased efficiency in the governance process respectively. However, opinion is divided on whether the combined non-monetary and monetary benefits outweigh the costs.

Details

Title: Shifting focus: The impacts of sustainable seafood certification
Authors/Creators: C. Soregaroli (Author/Creator)
I. van Putten (Author/Creator) - Centre for Marine Socioecology
C. Longo (Author/Creator) - Marine Stewardship Council
A. Arton (Author/Creator) - Marine Stewardship Council
M. Watson (Author/Creator) - Marine Stewardship Council
C.M. Anderson (Author/Creator) - University of Washington
A. Himes-Cornell (Author/Creator) - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
C. Obregón (Author/Creator) - Murdoch University
L. Robinson (Author/Creator) - The University of Western Australia
T. van Steveninck (Author/Creator) - Leiden University
Publication Details: PLoS ONE, Vol.15(5), e0233237
Publisher: Public Library of Science
Identifiers: 991005541255307891
Copyright: © 2020 van Patten et al.
Murdoch Affiliation: College of Science, Health, Engineering and Education; Centre for Sustainable Aquatic Ecosystems; Harry Butler Institute
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article

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Collaboration types: Domestic collaboration; International collaboration
Citation topics: 3 Agriculture, Environment & Ecology; 3.2 Marine Biology; 3.2.92 Fisheries Ecology
Web Of Science research areas: Environmental Studies
ESI research areas: Social Sciences, general