The guidance document aims to establish standardized traceability practices in fisheries and aquaculture value chains. It highlights the importance of globally agreed definitions for critical tracking events (CTEs) and key data elements (KDEs) to achieve end-to-end, electronic, and interoperable traceability. The document supports countries in implementing traceability, drawing on private sector-led initiatives and collaboration with stakeholders from various regions. The development process involved desk studies, online public consultations, and virtual regional consultations to gather input and insights from diverse stakeholders.
Traceability systems in the seafood industry must be aligned with international e- business standards to ensure interoperability and verifiability. The Global Dialogue on Seafood Traceability (GDST) has developed standards and guidelines for interoperable seafood traceability systems, which include identifying minimum data elements and technical formats for data sharing among systems. The GDST standards aim to improve supply chain insight and data security while enabling digital data transfer between supply chain partners. End market states play a crucial role in traceability, ensuring that imported fishery products meet legal requirements and have valid traceability unique identifiers linking to other types of states, critical tracking event points (CTEs), and key data elements (KDEs). Fishery authorities must be involved in overseeing importation and implementing verification processes, including coordination with customs, health, and biosecurity authorities to prevent non-compliant products from entering the territory. Effective traceability systems in the seafood sector have been incentivized by various factors, including media attention on legal and social risks, governmental traceability requirements, and private-sector sustainability commitments. This guidance document aims to provide technical advice on critical tracking events (CTEs) and key data elements (KDEs) required for robust traceability along the seafood value chain, addressing challenges related to inconsistent demands, formats, and interoperability in traceability systems. It also highlights the importance of coordination between different operators in the production chain and the integration of cross-countries and national traceability.
The document suggests adopting industry-wide use of standards like the GDST Standards and Guidelines for Interoperable Seafood Traceability Systems to improve the reliability of seafood information and reduce traceability costs. It also highlights the need for exhaustive understanding of supply chain events and scenarios, consideration of small-scale producers and potential gaps in national traceability systems, and a clear understanding of the current operational advantages and limitations of existing traceability systems.