Welcome the Interactive VeriFish!
Welcome to the Interactive Aquafood Insights page! Here, you’ll find a range of engaging tools and resources designed to promote sustainable seafood consumption and informed decision-making. Participate in our polls and questionnaires to share your thoughts and shape the future of aquaculture and fisheries. Explore our factsheets for clear, reliable information on seafood sustainability, nutritional value, and best practices. Additionally, discover media products created through the VeriFish project, aimed at educating and inspiring consumers, stakeholders, and communities toward more responsible seafood choices. Join the conversation and help build a more sustainable future for our oceans!
🔄 Disclaimer: This page will continue to evolve as the project develops. Media products such as flashcards, maps, calendars, recipes, and educational posters will be published and made available under free culture licenses for re-use.
Join the VeriFish Community of Practice
Welcome to the VeriFish Community of Practice (CoP) – a platform where industry experts, researchers, policymakers, and citizens come together to shape the future of sustainable aquafood practices. The CoP is designed to foster collaboration, gather feedback, and engage stakeholders in meaningful discussions about the sustainability, traceability, and health benefits of seafood products.
Videos
See the stories behind sustainable seafood — explained simply, told visually.
Dive into our collection of short videos, explainers, interviews, and real-world examples showing how sustainability in fisheries and aquaculture is being measured, improved, and communicated.
Whether you’re a consumer curious about traceability, a student learning about ocean science, or a policymaker looking for actionable insights, our videos are designed to make complex topics clear and engaging.
Simplifying Seafood Sustainability: The VeriFish Approach
VeriFish is transforming how we understand and communicate seafood sustainability. With its innovative Sustainability Indicator Framework, VeriFish empowers consumers and stakeholders to make informed, responsible choices about seafood products.
Our new video trailer introduces the key aspects of our work, from exploring the nutritional value and provenance of seafood to addressing potential health risks and environmental impacts. Learn how tools like the VeriFish Web App and tailored media products are shaping the future of sustainable seafood consumption.
📽️ Watch the trailer and join us in creating a healthier, more sustainable future for our oceans!
2 Questions, 6 Perspectives
A VeriFish communication campaign designed to highlight diverse expert insights on sustainable seafood. In each short video, experts from the VeriFish project answer two fundamental questions:
Why is sustainability in fisheries and aquaculture important today?
How is VeriFish contributing to raising awareness about sustainable seafood production and consumption?
By presenting these concise, engaging perspectives, the campaign aims to raise public awareness about sustainability challenges in seafood, showcase the innovative work of VeriFish, and inspire responsible seafood choices.
Christine highlights the complexity of defining sustainability in seafood and stresses the need for clear, accessible information. She emphasizes seafood’s role as a sustainable protein source compared to other options, noting the crucial role of VeriFish indicators in guiding consumer choices.
Michelle addresses the unique sustainability challenges arising from diverse seafood species and fishing practices. She underscores the importance of simplifying sustainability information for consumers and explains how VeriFish is actively tackling this issue by creating clear, standardized indicators.
Ixai highlights ecological sustainability as crucial for maintaining fish stocks for current and future generations. He explains how VeriFish is not only raising awareness but actively collaborating with other EU initiatives, such as Mr.GoodFish3.0, to develop practical tools and indicators that support genuinely sustainable seafood production and consumption.
Tim Huntington, a director at Poseidon and a seasoned fisheries and aquaculture expert with over 30 years of experience, emphasizes the growing importance of environmental sustainability at the core of fisheries and aquaculture management. Tim particularly highlights aquaculture, noting it has historically been underrepresented in sustainability discussions. He believes VeriFish represents a groundbreaking business-to-business tool, enabling companies to clearly assess their sustainability performance, communicate strengths effectively, and proactively address areas needing improvement. According to Tim, VeriFish offers the first practical framework to help businesses genuinely build and enhance sustainability from the ground up.
Siân Astley, Secretary General at EuroFIR, highlights the essential role of food data in ensuring nutritious, safe, and affordable seafood while safeguarding both human health and environmental sustainability. She underscores that the VeriFish project tackles the complexity of sustainability by developing an innovative indicator framework, aiming to provide measurable insights into seafood products’ nutritional, environmental, and provenance attributes. Siân emphasises how these indicators empower both the food industry and consumers, allowing informed choices tailored to individual concerns and values regarding nutrition, sustainability, and provenance.
Themistoklis (Themis) Altintzoglou, a senior researcher at Nofima, specialises in consumer behaviour around seafood. His work focuses on encouraging consumers to choose and enjoy seafood more frequently. Themis highlights seafood as one of the most sustainable protein sources, emphasizing that both aquaculture and fisheries have significant potential for improvement in sustainability. Through VeriFish, he advocates clear, actionable advice to guide consumer choices toward more sustainable seafood options, ultimately contributing to healthier oceans and societies.
Building the VeriFish Knowledge Base: Why Reliable Fisheries Data Matters
Reliable data and stock information are critical for sustainable fisheries management, preventing overexploitation and maintaining ecosystem balance.
In this video, Yannis Maritakis, computer scientist at FORTH, explains how the VeriFish project is constructing its knowledge base using trustworthy and accurate data sources. The VeriFish knowledge base supports policymakers and stakeholders by enabling informed decisions and promoting best practices across fisheries and aquaculture.
VeriFish brings together verified environmental, socio-economic and nutritional data to improve transparency and communication around seafood sustainability.
External Advisory Board Voices
VeriFish works closely with an External Advisory Board representing research, industry, market actors and policy expertise across Europe.
In this short video series, advisory board members share why verifiable indicators, transparency and common definitions matter for sustainable fisheries and aquaculture — from innovation and data interoperability to market trust and policy alignment.
Their perspectives reflect how VeriFish connects science, governance and real-world decision-making across the seafood value chain.
David Bassett explains why sustainability indicators, shared definitions and market-facing tools are a core part of aquaculture innovation. He highlights how VeriFish can support future research, policy mechanisms and practical uptake by European producers, especially SMEs.
Paul Bulcock reflects on the value of a holistic, multi-pillar indicator framework and the importance of public, reusable data. He explains how VeriFish supports transparency, two-way data sharing and informed sustainability assessments across platforms and markets.
Pedro Reis Santos outlines why VeriFish is relevant for NGOs, producers, processors and retailers alike. He highlights the project’s role in supporting informed consumer choices, fighting greenwashing, and enabling science-based sourcing decisions aligned with EU market and policy requirements.
Catch Welfare and Sustainability in Practice
Recorded during the Catch Welfare Platform Conference in IJmuiden, this video highlights how VeriFish brings together science, data and stakeholder dialogue to make aquatic animal welfare a measurable and integral part of sustainable seafood production and consumption.
Voices Behind the Indicators: Defining Responsible Seafood
During the Catch Welfare Platform Conference in IJmuiden (November 2025), VeriFish interviewed leading experts from across fisheries and aquaculture sustainability.
From welfare researchers and gear technologists to industry associations, data platforms, and seafood consultants, each voice offered a different perspective on what responsible seafood truly means.
Despite their diverse roles, one common theme emerged: sustainability must be structured, measurable, and transparent. Environmental performance, socio-economic responsibility, nutritional value, animal welfare, and traceability cannot be treated in isolation.
Voices Behind the Indicators brings these perspectives together, highlighting how VeriFish contributes to a more integrated and verifiable approach to seafood sustainability.
Topic: Integrating Aquatic Animal Welfare
Christine Xu discusses the global scale of fisheries and aquaculture and the persistent absence of welfare considerations in sustainability frameworks. She explains why animal welfare should no longer be treated as an afterthought and how integrating welfare data alongside environmental and nutritional indicators strengthens responsible seafood governance.
Topic: Traceability and Fishery Improvement
Representing the full tuna supply chain in Vietnam, Hoang Nguyen highlights the importance of traceability, data collection, and capacity building. Through Fishery Improvement Programs and alignment with international standards, sustainability becomes operational — from fishing vessel to final market.
Topic: Holistic Sourcing and Consumer Transparency
Irene Kranendonk explains how mission-driven seafood companies translate sustainability criteria into sourcing decisions. Certification, gear selectivity, socio-economic responsibility, and welfare all play a role. Structured, verifiable information is essential for communicating responsibly with consumers.
Topic: Data Transparency and Accountability
Miguel Ruano discusses how open databases and evidence-based scoring systems improve fisheries management and public accountability. Transparent data enables better decision-making across the seafood supply chain and strengthens governance.
Topic: Innovation and Welfare in Fishing Technology
Pieke Molenaar presents how gear innovation can reduce fish damage, improve welfare, and support long-term stock sustainability. Research-driven technological improvements demonstrate that measurable sustainability gains are achievable through applied science.
Topic: Supply Chain Transformation and Policy Alignment
Udo Censkowsky explores how seafood supply chains prepare for certification and sustainability standards. He emphasises that consumer awareness alone is insufficient — meaningful change requires structured parameters, market alignment, and supportive regulatory frameworks.
Topic: Ethical Seafood – Fish, People, Ecosystems
Wassem Emam outlines a holistic vision of ethical seafood grounded in three pillars: animal welfare, environmental responsibility, and fair livelihoods. Working primarily in Africa, he demonstrates how welfare can be measured and improved operationally, reinforcing aquaculture’s social license.
VeriFish Multilingual Dynamic Factsheets
As part of the VeriFish initiative, we are developing multilingual and dynamic factsheets to provide clear, up-to-date information on sustainable seafood. These factsheets will allow users to access content in their preferred language and will update dynamically with the latest information.
The factsheets will cover key areas in seafood sustainability, including:
- Production Chain: Legislation, compliance, and communication actions.
- Environmental Sustainability: Stock status, habitat health, and ecosystem impact.
- Socio-Economic Aspects: Insights on the supply chain, from catch to culture.
- Health and Nutrition: Nutrient composition, allergens, and preparations.
The content will be drawn from trusted sources like the Global Record of Stock and Fisheries (GRSF) and enriched with data from additional repositories.
Initially, the factsheets will be monolingual, but in the future, they will be available in multiple EU languages with user-friendly filters and customization options. This will make the factsheets accessible and easy to navigate, supporting informed and sustainable seafood consumption.
VeriFish Photo Challenge
From February to May 2025, the VeriFish Photo Challenge invited participants across Europe to submit photos and captions that captured the essence of sustainable seafood. The aim was to connect people with the environmental, nutritional, and socio-economic dimensions of fisheries and aquaculture—through visual storytelling.
The challenge received entries from students, seafood professionals, and citizens passionate about the future of our oceans. Each submission reflected a unique story of connection to seafood, sustainability, and community.
Polls and Questionnaires
Get involved by participating in our polls and questionnaires. Your insights on sustainable seafood practices, aquaculture, and fisheries will guide our efforts and help us better understand the community’s priorities.
Make a difference by sharing your opinion!
