Swedish experience of environmental certification (ecolabelling)

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Swedish experience of environmental certification
(ecolabelling)
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Who is the king today??
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The consumer is the king!!
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The new king!

• Market orientation
• Gradual change during the last 20 years from a
  picture where the production was in the centre
• The consumer does not trust the producer (fish
  everywhere)
• Failure of the fishery administrations (poor fish
  stocks), no sustainability
• What to do?

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Example of destroyed market (Swedish cod fishery)
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Ecolabelling??

• Private market-based mechanism for ensuring good
  fishery management and environmental friendly
  fishing technique
• Independant (from the governments) control
  functions
• Is intended to reward environmental leadership
• Brings additional costs to the producer and
  retailers
• The whole chain (producer-wholesalers-retailers)
  must be certified in order to reach the consumer
• Difficult to get a better price
• Leads to improved fisheries management. The
  governments have incentives to improve the
  performance

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Who gives environmental certification
(ecolabelling)

• Many private actors, for example
• MSC (Marine Stewardship Council, 7 of all
  consumer catches))
• KRAV (Claim), National Swedish system
• Friend of the Sea (FOS)
• Naturland
• Etc.
• A few governmental sponsored logos
• EU, flower label not yet covering captured fish
• Icelandic logo
• National French logo (planning phase)

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Requirements, Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)

• Three pillars
• Independent scientific verification of the
  sustainability of the stock
• Eco-system impact of the fishery
• Effective management of the fishery
• Certification of the whole chain otherwise the
  consumer is not informed
• The other systems are very much alike
• Note that certification means certification of
  your own standards

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Swedish experiences

• High preparation costs
• Support from the Structural Fund (FIFG, EFF), 100
  000 (so far)
• The assessment process is rather lengthy
• One Swedish fishery (pike-perch in lake
  Hjälmaren) has MSC and one company for North Sea
  herring fishery with seine
• Many Krav certifications, eg. shrimp, mussels and
  herring

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Sweden
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Successful fishery (lake Hjälmaren)

• All the year fishery, including ice fishery
• Two main species (pikeperch, 250tons and
  crayfish)
• Management system
• Local understanding of the necessity to regulate
  (not self-governing)
• Close cooperation with the scientists (SBF)
• Regulated entry decided by the SBF (No of
  fishermen)
• Minimum size for pikeperch
• Regulated mesh size

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Hjälmaren cont.

• Small community (lt100 persons)
• Stocks in fairly good shape due to the management
  system
• Market is good and highly priced.
• Entrepreneurs who are highly innovative.
• Highly profitable.

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Fishermens experience

• The market is in Sweden, Germany and France
• Problem that the whole chain must be certified,
  at the moment one buyer in Sweden has MSC but not
  all buyers
• The MSC does not give a very much higher price
• An advantage in the Swedish and German market but
  not in France
• Contribute to the creation of the brand name
  Hjälmare pike-perch
• Favourable public opinion of responsible and
  sustainable fishery

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My opinion

• -The fish sector must be onboard the wagon when
  it takes off
• Part of the market approach
• Competition with other food like beef and chicken
  which will be certified
• Creates good image with the public opinion,
  newspaper, radio, TV
• In the long run it will be profitable but perhaps
  not in the short run