The overall production of marine salmon aquaculture and the production of eco-certified marine salmon aquaculture have increased significantly over the past 20 years. Increasing demand for eco-certified seafood indicates that eco-certification has been successful in creating a market for sustainable seafood, but the potential for eco-certification to produce positive sustainability outcomes is less certain (Jonell et al., 2013; Tlusty, 2012; Tlusty & Thorsen, 2017). Two limitations of eco-certification in improving salmon farming sustainability are: (1) the application of global eco-certification criteria in specific and unique local contexts, and (2) the risk of excluding far-reaching impacts of aquaculture in the farm-scale application of eco-certification schemes (Amundsen et al., 2019; Amundsen & Osmundsen, 2019; Bush et al., 2019). Therefore, the goal of this study is to explicate the role of local context and the far-field impacts of aquaculture in the eco-certification of marine salmon farms.
Interviews with industry professionals who have experiential knowledge in the application, auditing, and/or design of eco-certification criteria took place over a year-long period. Conversational interviews consisted of open-ended questions about the role of eco-certification in marine salmon aquaculture. Additional materials identified through interviews and review of eco-certification scheme websites were also used to explore the role of farm location and far-field impacts of aquaculture in the application and outcomes of the eco-certification of salmon farms. Thematic coding of interview transcripts, eco-certification criteria, and variance requests were used to identify common challenges in the application of eco-certification in local contexts and how far-field impacts are considered and evaluated in the application of eco-certification criteria.
Preliminary results indicate that differences in auditor approach, training, and experience play a role in resolving conflict between local context and eco-certification criteria. Although eco-certification is a farm-scale approach to sustainability, some eco-certification schemes incorporate an ecological perspective by including criteria that reference regulatory requirements such as environmental assessment and participation in area-based management plans.
References
Amundsen, V. S., Gauteplass, A. Å., & Bailey, J. L. (2019). Level up or game over: the implications of levels of impact in certification schemes for salmon aquaculture. Aquaculture Economics and Management, 23(3), 237–253. https://doi.org/10.1080/13657305.2019.1632389
Amundsen, V. S., & Osmundsen, T. C. (2019). Virtually the reality: Negotiating the distance between standards and local realities when certifying sustainable aquaculture. Sustainability, 11. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11092603
Bush, S. R., Oosterveer, P., Bottema, M., Meuwissen, M., de Mey, Y., Chamsai, S., … Chadag, M. (2019). Inclusive environmental performance through ‘beyond-farm’ aquaculture governance. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, 41, 49–55. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cosust.2019.09.013
Jonell, M., Phillips, M., Rönnbäck, P., & Troell, M. (2013). Eco-certification of farmed seafood: Will it make a difference? Ambio, 42, 659–674. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-013-0409-3
Tlusty, M. F. (2012). Environmental improvement of seafood through certification and ecolabelling: Theory and analysis. Fish and Fisheries, 13(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-2979.2011.00404.x
Tlusty, M. F., & Thorsen, Ø. (2017). Claiming seafood is ‘sustainable’ risks limiting improvements. Fish and Fisheries, 18, 340–346. https://doi.org/10.1111/faf.12170