Seascape

(en)visible provides end to end services for responsible food programs from traceability technology to stakeholder and consumer engagement. Ultimately, they focus on responsible sourcing, technology and sustainability programs that enable brands to deliver better quality, storied products to their customers.

Initially ABALOBI ICT4Fisheries embarked on the journey of co-designing technology with South African small-scale fishers, seeking approaches for fishers to collect reliable data, and to benefit from the use of such data in terms of improved accounting and fisheries management. Subsequently the ABALOBI Marketplace was built which empowered small-scale fishers to sell directly to restaurants, initiating South Africa’s first Restaurant-Supported Fishery. The ABALOBI Marketplace platform facilitates electronic payments directly to the fishers, with full transparency on the return they receive. In addition, there is full transparency on the component of
the selling price allocated to a logistics fee that covers delivery of the fish to the restaurant’s door. This degree of transparency in value chains is unusual yet critical if we are to enable small-scale fishers to realise a fair value for their catch and build tangible market incentives for responsible fishing practices.

The ABALOBI ICT4Fisheries Traceability Technology has been co-designed with small-scale fishers to ensure that it is relevant to their context. The traceability technology is implemented through an integrated system of customised mobile applications and online platforms which can effectively track seafood from landing site to the final consumer. It incorporates crosschecking and validation of data points across the ABALOBI Fisher App, ABALOBI Marketplace App, ABALOBI Monitor App, and ABALOBI Admin Panel online platform. The key to the success of this integrated technology is that all stakeholders along a small-scale fisheries value chain can readily track seafood moving through the traceability system. In addition, the ABALOBI ICT4Fisheries Traceability Technology enables a consumer facing QR Code to be generated that captures the unique story behind each seafood species in real time. This provides visibility for small-scale fishers and helps them differentiate their seafood products.

Seafood ID from ACGT, Inc. utilizes DNA analysis to identify seafood species. In a traceability program, a species snapshot of representative or “sentinel” fish or shellfish – not individuals – provides a spot verification of pre-existing validated processes.

The Alaska Responsible Fisheries Management (RFM) Program is an ISO accredited third-party certification program for wild-capture fisheries. The Alaska RFM Chain of Custody Standard ensures that seafood products bearing the RFM Certified Seal or a certification claim can be directly traced back through the supply chain to the certified fishery. Assessments are performed directly against the the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries and the FAO Guidelines for Eco-labelling. GSSI recognizes the Alaska Responsible Fisheries Management Certification Program.

Anchor Lab provides solutions for electronic monitoring for a variety of fisheries monitoring strategies. Their systems can be customized to meet different requirements for different fisheries. They provide both solutions for the automation of data collection onboard, and the tools used to analyze fishing activites. Via their ‘Black Box Video System’, they use video capture to document catch handling/processing procedures, gear setting/retrieval, and discard activities. They also have an additional system, designed for fishing around sensitive areas (such as MPAs). They also provide a Black Box Data Analysis Software – a data presentation system designed for visualizing and reviewing data from their Black Box Systems.

New England Aquarium’s Sustainable Seafood Program works with seafood retailers and suppliers to encourage the sustainable development of farmed and wild-caught seafood resources. The Aquarium advises these companies on issues related to seafood sustainability and facilitates proactive changes along their supply chains to promote marine conservation. Developing a variety of strategies and tools to enhance transparency and traceability is a critical component of the Aquarium’s efforts with corporate partners and their supply chains. Strategies include: improving companies’ internal traceability systems; working through the supply chain to collect and verify product information, and; engagement of businesses, policy makers, scientists, and conservation colleagues in support of policies and other strategies to combat IUU fishing.

Applied Food Technologies (AFT) offers a DNA-based species identification service for seafood which meets FDA’s guidance by relying on adequately authenticated samples rather than publicly available databases. AFT compares all fish to a database generated from taxonomically identified references. Because the FDA’s current guidance states that they will only make regulatory decisions based on identifications using adequately authenticated standards, AFT helps a firm comply with the FDA’s guidance. AFT clients for seafood species testing have included the FDA, NOAA, state governments, distributors, retailers, grocery store chains, and restaurants, among others.

Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) Key Data Elements (KDE) project: In line with their commitment to continuous improvement, the Programme Assurance team initiated a project aimed at introducing technology to improve digital traceability. This involves using software to capture and convey key data elements from certified farm origin throughout the supply chain. The project aims to enhance supply chain transparency, mitigate risk and provide greater verifiable information to meet industry expectations. The KDE project is being developed with collaboration farms, industry and retailers and the ASC works together with the Global Dialogue on Seafood Traceability (GDST) towards industry alignment and interoperability. The collected data, of which some will flow through the complete supply system, will most likely be species-dependent. These data elements will evolve as the standards, requirements and needs of the supply chain evolve. In 2020, the ASC will evaluate the results of the pilots in relation to wider implementation.