Exploring the First Stage of the VeriFish Indicator Framework

The VeriFish Indicator Framework represents a pioneering effort to simplify and standardize communication about seafood sustainability, addressing one of the most pressing challenges in the seafood industry. As awareness of sustainability grows, so does the complexity of understanding what it means in practice. This framework serves as a bridge, connecting the diverse needs of stakeholders by offering verifiable, actionable insights into the sustainability of seafood products.

At its core, the framework is a tool for clarity and empowerment. It helps demystify the intricate web of environmental, social, and nutritional factors that influence seafood sustainability. By translating these factors into clear, standardized indicators, the framework ensures that every decision-maker along the value chain, from producers to consumers, has access to transparent and reliable information. This first stage of the framework is a significant milestone in the VeriFish journey, setting the foundation for a future where sustainability is not only understood but practiced universally across the seafood sector.

Why an Indicator Framework?

Today’s seafood sector operates within a highly intricate ecosystem where sustainability encompasses a broad spectrum of interconnected dimensions, including environmental impact, social equity, economic viability, and nutritional value. Understanding and effectively communicating these multifaceted aspects are crucial for encouraging responsible practices, safeguarding marine resources, and ensuring equitable benefits for all stakeholders.

The VeriFish Indicator Framework is an ambitious first step toward addressing these challenges. Designed to act as a bridge and guide, it seeks to:

  • Bridge Stakeholder Needs: The framework unites the priorities of diverse stakeholder groups—from fishery management authorities and policymakers to industry professionals and consumers. By tailoring indicators to address specific concerns, such as biodiversity, stock management, illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing risks, labor conditions, and nutritional value, it ensures that the information provided is relevant, reliable, and actionable for each audience.
  • Promote Transparent Communication: Clear, standardized indicators lie at the heart of the framework, simplifying the often overwhelming complexity of sustainability data. This transparency empowers actors across the value chain, from producers and retailers to NGOs and educators, to communicate the environmental, social, and health benefits of their products in a way that is accessible and trustworthy.
  • Foster Collaborative Action: By providing a shared understanding of what sustainability entails, the framework paves the way for collaboration among stakeholders. Whether it’s improving management practices, enhancing product labeling, or guiding consumer choices, the framework serves as a common reference point to drive collective efforts toward a sustainable seafood future.

The Three Pillars of the Indicator Framework

The VeriFish Indicator Framework is built on three foundational pillars, each targeting a critical dimension of sustainability: environmental impact, social and economic equity, and nutritional value. Together, these pillars provide a holistic approach to assessing and communicating the sustainability of seafood production.

  1. Environmental Indicators

Environmental indicators are designed to ensure that fisheries and aquaculture activities support the long-term health of ecosystems, habitats, and fish populations. The framework integrates management aspects, including IUU fishing risk assessment, to provide a more comprehensive understanding of sustainability.

For capture fisheries, these indicators include:

  • Stock Status: Metrics like biomass (BMSY) and fishing mortality (FMSY) assess whether fish stocks are being exploited within sustainable limits.
  • Climate Impact: The carbon footprint of seafood production, measured in CO2-equivalent per kilogram of product, varies widely by species and fishing gear, highlighting the importance of low-impact methods.
  • Ecosystem Effects: Indicators evaluate bycatch rates, the impact on endangered species, and habitat disruption caused by fishing gear such as bottom trawls.
  • Animal Welfare: Capture and handling methods are assessed to minimize harm and stress during fishing operations, ensuring ethical treatment. These indicators are under development.

For aquaculture, key focus areas include:

  • Animal Welfare: Ensuring optimal living conditions, stocking density, and humane treatment throughout the production cycle to promote health and well-being.
  • Biosecurity: Evaluates practices to prevent the spread of diseases and invasive species, such as antimicrobial usage and the presence of genetically modified organisms in feed.
  • Habitat Impact: Considers site selection and the potential ecological changes introduced by aquaculture operations.
  • Resource Use and Waste Management: Metrics include feed conversion ratios, freshwater usage, and the handling of effluents and plastics to minimize environmental damage.

2. Social and Economic Indicators

Social and economic indicators aim to reflect the broader societal benefits and challenges of seafood production. These principles are being refined into measurable metrics with input from stakeholders and the project’s advisory board to ensure practical implementation. Key areas include:

  • Fair Labor Practices: Ensuring fair wages, safe working conditions, and adherence to international labor standards to protect workers’ rights.
  • Community Well-being: Evaluating job creation, income generation, and contributions to local infrastructure, which strengthen the resilience and prosperity of fishing communities.
  • Gender Equality: Promoting inclusion and equitable opportunities across roles in the sector, particularly for underrepresented groups.
  • Food Security: Assessing how aquaculture and fisheries contribute to the availability and affordability of nutritious seafood for vulnerable populations.

3. Nutrition and Health Indicators

Nutrition and health indicators emphasize the importance of seafood as a nutrient-dense option that supports a healthy diet. These indicators cover a wide range of components to empower consumers and support industry transparency:

  • Macronutrients: Including protein, carbohydrates, and fats, with a focus on high-quality protein that is easily digestible and contains essential amino acids.
  • Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Long-chain fatty acids such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), known for their benefits to cardiovascular and cognitive health.
  • Vitamins and Minerals: Key micronutrients like vitamin D, iodine, selenium, and zinc that contribute to bone health, immune function, and overall well-being.
  • Caloric Content and Cholesterol: Offering consumers a comprehensive view of the energy and dietary considerations associated with different seafood products.

Charting the Path Forward for Sustainable Seafood

Consistency and Future Refinement

The VeriFish Indicator Framework represents an ambitious first step in simplifying and standardizing sustainability communication for seafood. While this initial version provides a robust foundation, it is important to acknowledge that the framework is still evolving. Governance metrics related to fisheries management, for example, complement environmental indicators by offering a more comprehensive understanding of sustainability. Similarly, the social and economic indicators currently highlight key principles but require further refinement to translate them into actionable, measurable metrics. This iterative process reflects the commitment of VeriFish to maintaining scientific rigor and adapting to the dynamic challenges of the seafood industry.

Driving Change Through Collaboration

More than just a technical tool, the VeriFish Indicator Framework embodies a vision for collaboration and shared responsibility. By bringing together diverse stakeholders—including fishery managers, policymakers, NGOs, industry professionals, and consumers—it fosters dialogue and encourages the adoption of best practices.

By continuously refining and expanding the framework, VeriFish is poised to play a pivotal role in shaping a seafood industry that balances ecological responsibility, social equity, and nutritional value.

David Bassett

Employed by EATiP since 2017, David is responsible for the day-to-day management and direction of this European wide multi-actor ETP. 

Working in the aquaculture industry since 2005, including a decade as the executive of a UK producer association, he has been active in numerous projects from the sixth Framework Programme. Among other roles, David has served as a director of the Scottish Aquaculture Research Forum and served on the Technical Advisory Group of the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC TAG) alongside being invited as a guest lecturer at the Institute of Aquaculture, University of Stirling (UK).  

In addition to working on multiple Horizon Europe projects David is one of the Technical Experts assisting with the implementation of the EU Aquaculture Assistance Mechanism in addition to chairing the research focus group of the Aquaculture Advisory Council (AAC) and sitting on the Standing Committee on Agricultural Research – Fish Committee (SCAR-Fish). 

For further information on EATiP please see www.eatip.eu 

Paul Bulcock

Paul Bulcock is responsible for developing and maintaining aquaculture information in SFP’s systems (e.g., FishSource, AIP Directory, Metrics). He also supports development and implementation of aquaculture strategy through research and analysis.

Paul has extensive program support and aquaculture research experience (particularly in Southeast Asia), having worked for the Network of Aquaculture Centers in Asia-Pacific (NACA) and DFID’s Aquaculture and Fish Genetics Research Programme (AFGRP) at the Institute of Aquaculture, in Stirling, UK. He has an MSc in aquaculture from the University of Stirling and a BSc in marine and fisheries zoology from the University of Aberdeen.

Paul is based in the UK, in Glasgow, Scotland.

Fabio Grati

A fishery biologist presently employed at the National Research Council, Institute for Marine Biological Resources and Biotechnology (Ancona, Italy), he brings to the table more than thirty years of expertise in marine environmental conservation and sustainable resource management. Over the course of his career, he has overseen and participated in numerous international projects focused on understanding and mitigating anthropic impacts on marine ecosystems. Since 2019, he holds a membership in the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) under the European Commission. Within this role, he has chaired two STECF Expert Working Groups (EWG 22-12 and EWG 23-18), where he led efforts to establish scientifically robust yet accessible criteria and indicators for assessing the sustainability of fisheries products.

Andrea Fabris

Andrea Fabris born 11.08.1968, Italian, has a Veterinary Medicine full graduation achieved at the University of Parma. He has also a Specialization in “Farming, Hygiene, Pathology of Aquatic Species and Control of Derivative Products ” achieved at Udine University and a Specialization in “Animal Feeding” obtained at Bologna University.

Actually (from May 2016) he is Director of Associazione Piscicoltori Italiani (API – Italian Fish Farmers Association). At National level behalf of API he is member of some working groups at the General Direction for Fisheries and Aquaculture of Italian Ministry of Agriculture and Italian Ministry of Health regarding aquaculture EU rules and their implementation at national and regional level, and member of Exotic Species Aquaculture Committee – Italian Ministry of Agriculture. Lecturer on in training /courses organized by Ministry of Health, Universities and Local Veterinary Authorities; member of Board of Directors of SIPI (Italian Society of Fish Pathology).

He is also involved at international level with the Federation of European Aquaculture Producers (FEAP) as Chairman of FEAP Fish Health and Welfare Commission. Andrea is part of the FVE (Federation of Veterinarians Europe) Aquaculture Working Group, and of FishMedPlus Coalition, and from the beginning member of Aquaculture Advisory Council (AAC) where is actually Chair of WG1 – Finfish.

He published as an author or co-author about 30 articles on international and national scientific journals concerning Fish pathology and Aquaculture and more than 60 issues on divulgative (fishermen and aquaculture producers associations) publications

Anne Marie Cooper

Anne shapes global sustainable fisheries and aquaculture policies through her work at the science-policy interface. Driven by a commitment to improving human lives and aquatic ecosystems, she serves as the Professional Officer for Fisheries and Aquaculture Advice at the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) in Copenhagen, Denmark. Anne leads ICES’ efforts in developing and applying methods to provide scientific advice on data-limited fish and shellfish stocks in the Northeast Atlantic, covering over 60% of ICES stocks. She also heads the development of ICES’
advisory framework for sustainable aquaculture. Before joining ICES, Anne advised on national fisheries, aquaculture, climate, and marine science policy in the US Senate, House of Representatives, and NOAA. She holds a Ph.D. in Conservation Biology and Development Studies and Social Change Theory and an M.Sc. in Fisheries Science from the University of Minnesota.

Pedro Reis Santos

Pedro Reis Santos is Secretary General of the Market Advisory Council (MAC), a stakeholder-led advisory body to the European Commission and to the Member States on matters relevant for the EU market of fishery and aquaculture products, as foreseen by the Common Fisheries Policy Regulation.

Before his appointment, in July 2019, as Secretary General, Mr Reis Santos worked as a consultant for a Brussels-based business intelligence service monitoring EU developments on fisheries, agriculture, food, animal welfare, alcohol and tobacco policy. Prior to that, he was a trainee at the Fisheries Unit of the Council of the European Union and a trainee at the Control Unit of the Portuguese Fisheries Authority.

Mr Reis Santos holds a Bachelor’s degree in Law and a Master’s degree in International Law and International Relations from the University of Lisbon with a thesis titled “Marine Protected Areas beyond National Jurisdiction”. Besides his first language, Portuguese, he speaks English and Spanish

Irene Kranendonk

Irene Kranendonk is the Impact Manager at Fish Tales and a board member of the Fish Tales Foundation. Her work focuses on developing and guiding Fish Tales’ sourcing criteria including management of the environmental and social certification schemes. With the Fish Tales Foundation and local partner organizations, she drives social and environmental improvements in small scale fisheries. Irene holds a master’s degree from Wageningen University in Aquaculture and Marine Resource Management and is specialized in the field of fisheries ecology. In a previous role, Irene was sustainable seafood assessor for the Dutch seafood rating scheme the VISwijzer.