The Responsible Seafood Tool (RESET): Empowering businesses in Asia to source seafood more responsibly

Abstract

The current situation observed in the seafood industry demonstrates that responsible and certified seafood produced in Asia as well as other developing regions is often exported out to Western markets such as Europe and the US, due to a higher demand and higher willingness to pay. This renders responsible and certified seafood to be shipped out of Asia and results in a market where responsible and certified seafood is systematically underrepresented. Hence, the lack of supply of responsible seafood from regional sources has hindered companies’ efforts to source responsibly, despite a commitment to do so. With Asia’s increasing disposable income and growing awareness by consumers for responsible and certified seafood, greater opportunities can be leveraged upon by World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) to increase the supply and demand of responsible seafood in the region. The Responsible Seafood Tool (RESET) is developed as WWF believes that there is opportunity for change in empowering businesses in Asia to source more responsibly, particularly for a local favourite - seafood. Responsible seafood sourcing helps to reduce negative consequences to the environment, in the form of biodiversity loss, seascape degradation, and resource depletion, as well as to reduce lost livelihoods displaced by depleted fishstock or polluted landscapes and seascapes. The tool seeks to lower the barriers for businesses to source for responsible seafood, and to directly mobilize improved management and performance of fisheries and aquaculture in Asia. In a nutshell, RESET aims to provide easy access to the supply of responsible seafood for interested buyers, while also supporting Asian aquaculture and fisheries by providing business incentives for certification. Seafood buyers enjoy the access of a variety of responsible seafood from Asia, at the same time, they enable WWF to propel responsible seafood producers along their journey to achieve Aqualculture Stewardship Council (ASC) or Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification.