WWW.WAS.ORG • WORLD AQUACULTURE • SEPTEMBER 2014 3 Editor’s Note Recent revelations about the use of slave labor on Thai fishing trawlers sent shock waves through the seafood world. The Guardian reported in June that fishmeal produced from a trawl fishery were being used in aquafeeds for shrimp produced by CP foods, the giant Thai food conglomerate. CP is a “4 Star Production Group,” the highest level in the BAP certification program supported by the GAA. The situation has elevated the reputational risk of major seafood buyers (Wal-Mart, Costco, Tesco, etc.) that source seafood from CP Foods. For some consumers, this may represent a breach of trust in their perception of what a certification system should do. There may be increased skepticism in consumer attitudes towards seafood certification systems as another example of greenwashing. Responsible sourcing of ingredients is a fundamental principle of feed mill certifications. In a press release from the GAA, the argument was made that the boundary of the certification system does not extend to the capture fishery used to produce the fishmeal for shrimp aquafeeds. Although it doesn’t encompass the fishery now, maybe it should. In addition, in the interest of transparency and accountability, the GAA might consider public release of audits of the four CP feed mills as well as the two owned by Thai Union. The social dimension of sustainability has always been the third priority relative to the attention dedicated to economic and environmental dimensions. Social components of certification systems typically include conformance with basic labor laws and consideration of other worker rights, including fair wages and worker safety, use of underage workers and freedom of association, among others. The ASC identifies this as a principle of “being socially responsible.” The social dimension is also often described in terms of community relations or engagement, in recognition that aquaculture farms and facilities are embedded in a local context. In certification systems, this area includes considerations about access to resources such as public land and fishing grounds. At the WAS meeting in Adelaide, Carla Leversedge, of the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) (www.iap2.org.au), defined public participation as “any process that involves the public in problemsolving or decision-making and that uses public input to make better decisions.” She also described the process as “managing outrage.” The IAP2 has developed a set of broadly applicable core values and a code of ethics for public participation. The values include the seemingly self-evident statement that “those who are affected by a decision have a right to be involved in the decisionmaking process” and that this involvement is meaningful in terms of influencing the decision. The code of ethics include a statement about trust, an issue that emerged repeatedly in different contexts at the conference in Adelaide. Public participation should build trust among stakeholders and credibility of the process. IAP2’s Spectrum of Public Participation describes different levels of legitimate public participation with an increasing level of public impact ranging from inform, consult, involve, collaborate and empower. There are numerous ethical concerns related to aquaculture in local or global communities. Leaving aside ethical concerns related to ecosystem sustainability, fish welfare and food safety, the main ethical issues for producers are related to adequate income and working conditions (wellbeing), the freedom to adopt certain technologies or practices (autonomy), and fairness in trade (justice). Conflicts over sites (“colliding interests”) is also an issue related to the ethical principle of justice and fairness. With the seemingly pervasive not-in-my-backyard attitude of the public towards aquaculture, at least in many developed countries, and revelations such as that reported by the Guardian, social considerations seem to be coming to the fore and will require more attention than previously received. — John A. Hargreaves, Editor-in-Chief New Report Links Aquaculture and Poverty Reduction WorldFish working together with the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies has exposed evidence of aquaculture’s link to poverty reduction in a new report. Data gathered over a ten-year period provides important evidence for the need to invest in the sector as a way to alleviate global poverty and hunger. By analyzing changes in fish consumption in Bangladesh between 2000 and 2010, the report proves conclusively that growth in aquaculture has led to greater fish consumption among the poorest consumers in Bangladesh. While it had previously been considered that the benefits of the growth in aquaculture were derived mainly from increased employment, the study demonstrates a stronger link to the health benefits of eating more fish. The peer-reviewed paper published in the academic journal World Development provides proof of the long suspected link between aquaculture and poverty reduction for the first time. However the paper also underlines the importance of capture fisheries, which are in sharp decline, and the need to promote an enabling environment for both sectors. Is Aquaculture Pro-Poor? Empirical Evidence of Impacts on Fish Consumption in Bangladesh co-authored by Kazi Ali Toufique of the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies and Ben Belton of WorldFish also observes that while aquaculture has reduced prices and increased availability of fish, wild capture fish supply has diminished. Given that more than 70 percent of rural households rely to some extent on wild capture, this is an important factor. If it had been possible to slow the decline in capture fisheries in parallel to increased aquaculture production, the authors say, the pro-poor impact would have been more pronounced. While increases in aquaculture production have been sufficient to offset any loss, they conclude that policies are needed that support both sectors in parallel. Note: This article is based on a press release from WorldFish. Concern for Social Sustainability on the Rise
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjExNDY=