Seafood Traceability

The PROCARIBE+ Project is supporting countries in the Wider Caribbean to enhance their traceability systems for key fisheries and aquaculture products. The project focuses on achieving a minimum of 30% traceability for spiny lobster, 39% for queen conch, and 31% for shrimp exports by the project's end, representing a total of approximately 55,900 tons per year.

The project further aims to create conditions for replicating and expanding these systems across the wider Western Central Atlantic Fishery Commission (WECAFC) region, with a goal of achieving a total traceable export volume of 94,800 tons per year by 2030, representing 52% of all regional spiny lobster, queen conch, and shrimp exports for the region.

Background

The Caribbean region relies heavily on its fisheries sector for economic growth, employment, and food security. However, the sector faces significant challenges, including illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing practices. These practices threaten the sustainability of fish stocks and the livelihoods of fishing communities.

Furthermore, increasing global demand for traceability in seafood products puts pressure on Caribbean exporters to demonstrate the sustainability and legality of their catches. This demand is driven by consumer awareness, environmental concerns, and regulatory requirements, such as the EU's IUU Regulation. The EU Regulation imposes strict rules on third countries exporting seafood to the EU, including traceability requirements. Failure to comply can result in trade sanctions, including warnings and potential bans on seafood imports. Increasingly, Caribbean seafood exporters are wanting to comply with existing traceability standards to access new markets and increase the sale of their products. 

PROCARIBE+ Intervention

The PROCARIBE+ Project, building upon the foundation laid by the predecessor CLME and CLME+ projects, aims to address these challenges by promoting traceability in the seafood sector of the wider Caribbean. Notably, the project will build on the work conducted by the International Regional Organization for Plant and Animal Health (OIRSA) which has adopted a “Regional standard for traceability of fishery products” applied by their member states. Under PROCARIBE+, the project focuses on three key seafood products: spiny lobster, queen conch, and shrimp (both wild-caught and farmed). These products represent a significant portion of the region's seafood exports, generating an estimated USD 1.3 billion in annual revenue.

Key Activities

The Organization of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Sector of the Central American Isthmus (OSPESCA) and the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) will lead the traceability efforts, in collaboration with OIRSA. The project will implement a range of activities to achieve its traceability objectives, including:

• Implementing traceability systems: The project will support the implementation of traceability systems in at least eight countries, targeting a minimum of 30% of regional exports for each of the three key products. This will involve working with national authorities, industry stakeholders, and other relevant actors. OSPESCA will promote traceability systems in Belize, Honduras, Guatemala and Panama; while CRFM will work in Bahamas, Guyana and Suriname.
• Expanding existing regional traceability standards: The project will work with regional fisheries organizations and countries to expand existing traceability standards to other countries of the region. Traceability standards will be adapted to the specific needs and contexts of different countries in the region.
• Building capacity: The project will provide training and technical assistance to stakeholders involved in the seafood value chain, including fishers, processors, exporters, and government officials. This will help ensure that they have the necessary skills and knowledge to implement and maintain traceability systems.
• Promoting knowledge sharing: The project will facilitate the exchange of lessons learned and best practices among stakeholders in the region. This will help to accelerate the adoption of traceability and improve its effectiveness.

Anticipated Benefits

The PROCARIBE+ project is expected to deliver a range of benefits, including:

• Improved sustainability of fisheries: By increasing the traceability of seafood products and promoting sustainable fishing practices, the project will contribute to the expansion of long-term sustainability of fish stocks and the livelihoods of fishing communities.
• Increased market access: By demonstrating the traceability of their products, Caribbean exporters will be better positioned to access high-value markets, including the EU market.
• Enhanced consumer confidence: Traceability will provide consumers with greater assurance about the origin, sustainability, and safety of Caribbean seafood products.
• Improved governance: The project will strengthen the capacity of national authorities to manage their fisheries resources and enforce regulations.