In the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) ranking of seven environmental labels for fish published this week, KRAV ended up in fourth place - far too low a ranking based partly on incomplete data.
- The perspective of this report is too narrow, since sustainable fishing deals with much more than just the effect of fishing on fish stocks. In addition, the assessment was based solely on the information in English that is openly available on our website, said Lars Hällbom, KRAV’s director of regulatory affairs, although he pointed out that the report was needed.
- This report was genuinely needed! There are so many environmental labels that they can be confusing. The report also highlights the areas for improvement and we intend to work on those, said Lars Hällbom.
For example, it must be more clearly obvious from the KRAV fishing regulations how KRAV assures certification and evaluation of fish stocks, which gets a low score in the WWF report.
- Our open and well-embedded regulatory process with many stakeholders is something we are proud of and we must aim to better communicate that, explained Lars Hällbom, who also noted that KRAV must continue to improve the English language part of its website.
- The lack of information in English about the KRAV regulatory process on our website is one of the explanations for our low ranking, continued Lars Hällbom.
Another explanation can be that the WWF report does not take into account some of KRAV’s other core areas as regards the regulation of fishing, for example the environmental impact of the fishing fleet and the processing industry. These include appropriate choice of fuel and chemicals to decrease the pollution from fishing boats and requirements on systematic environmental protection work within the processing industry.
- KRAV regulates the environmental impact of fishing along the entire route from fishing boat to supermarket. We take a holistic approach and from January this year we are reinforcing that with regulations on the climate impact, said Lars Hällbom.
Since the report was produced, KRAV, as an initial environmental labelling of fish, has introduced clear regulations to decrease the environmental impact of fishing. For example, KRAV regulates the amount of fuel that fishing boats may use to catch a certain quantity of fish.
Although KRAV believes that its position on the WWF ranking list is too low, the KRAV certification, accreditation and traceability of fishing fleets are highly rated in the evaluation. KRAV also receives positive ratings in a number of areas not included in the ranking, for example its regulations on the environmental impact of fish processing and social responsibility.
WWF also continues to recommend that consumers buy both MSC-labelled and KRAV-labelled fish, since “these products have clear traceability and are the most environmentally sustainable choices on the Swedish market”.
How KRAV’s fishing regulations operate
First, the application to open a fishery is scrutinised by the KRAV fishing committee, which includes experts on fishing:
- Friederike Ziegler, SIK
- Kine Mari Karlsen, Nofima
- Jonas Nilsson, Kalmar College
- Helena Röcklingsberg, University of Lund
- Inger Näslund, World Wildlife Fund WWF
This fishing committee decides whether:
- The fishing is performed using sustainable methods on stocks that are within biologically safe boundaries
- The equipment is sufficiently selective
- The target species contains abnormal levels of environmental toxins.
In order to ensure that all the supporting data are correct and that the process is transparent, a proposal on the decision by the fishing committee is sent for consultation to KRAV members, the board, selected researchers, relevant authorities, and fishing companies and organisations. The consultation process is also open to the public via the KRAV website.
Finally, a decision is taken by the Managing Director of KRAV on the basis of the proposal presented the fishing committee and the results of consultation. The final decision also specifies the equipment permitted for use and other conditions for approved fishing.
When a fishery has been approved, individual fishing vessels or a fishing company can apply for certification of their operations according to KRAV regulations.
To find out more about KRAV’s fishing regulations and the new climate requirements visit: http://www.krav.se/Foretag/Certifieringar/Fiske/
To find out more about the World Wildlife Fund and its report visit: http://www.wwf.se/press/pressrum/pressmeddelanden/1276822-globala-fiskmarkningen-msc-bast-i-test
Contacts:
Lars Hällbom, Director of Regulatory Affairs, KRAV, tel. 018 17 45 18
Kristin Cooper, Press officer, KRAV, tel. 018 17 45 06