Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute has begun accepting applications for chain of custody certification, which will assure buyers that only Alaska seafood products bearing a “sourced from a certified Alaska fishery” can make this claim.
It’s part of ASMI’s ongoing Food and Agriculture Organization-based responsible fisheries management certification program. The Food and Agriculture Organization within the United Nations leads international efforts to defeat hunger.
ASMI officials said May 31 that certification would ensure that all certified Alaska seafood can be traced back through the supply chain to the fishery that was certified as part of the program.
To date, both Alaska salmon and Alaska halibut have received FAO-based certification, and applications have been submitted for Alaska back cod, Alaska Pollock and Alaska crab.
This chain of custody certification is required for any applicant that buys seafood from a certified fishery and wishes to make the certified claim on any of their packaging.
Certified seafood handlers will be able to demonstrate effective traceability and have systems in place to ensure that the certified seafood product is not mixed with non-certified seafood.
Applicants who buy seafood from a certified fishery, but do not wish to make the certified claim on any of their packaging will not require certification. A certification to the chain of custody standard takes from one to three months.
For more information on the chain of custody application process, contact Mike Platt at Global Trust Certification Ltd., at mikeplatt@gtcert.com
