Introducing Certified Seafood International
A New Choice in Wild-Capture Seafood Certification
Certified Seafood International (CSI) delivers a competitive new third-party certification program with global reach, and chain of custody with the ability to identify harvest origin on the eco-label. Benchmarked by the Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative (GSSI), CSI audits fisheries management against a clear and rigorous Fisheries Standard grounded in the globally recognized guidance of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
Focused on What Matters
Credibility
CSI is a rigorous program benchmarked by GSSI. Our fisheries are certified against a standard grounded in the internationally recognized principles of the UN FAO. These FAO criteria were developed in partnership with the world’s leading fishery biologists, environmental organizations and fishery managers from 70 countries.
Affordability
Credible certification should not impose steep cost burdens on the seafood sector. The clarity of our standard, together with a commitment to minimizing program overhead, is delivering value for money and removing cost burdens from seafood supply chains. As we work to finalize a long-term funding model for our new program, affordability will remain an overriding objective and any program fees will be kept to a minimum.
Transparency
CSI believes deeply in the fishing communities that harvest wild-capture seafood, and we want to share their stories with the world. Our program provides more than a generic stamp of approval. We offer a choice to identify harvest origin on the CSI label; and we provide an online platform to communicate a wider range of information about certified fisheries. Through these and other innovations, we work every day to enhance transparency and trust.
Improvement
By recognizing fisheries that meet a clear set of established management requirements, CSI encourages more fisheries to engage and improve. We believe that a stable standard, focused on fisheries management and based on internationally recognized UN principles, provides clarity and consistency that is vital for fisheries striving for certification.
Global Reach
CSI has been developed in partnership with existing regional certification programs, and builds upon their successes. Most significantly, the Responsible Fisheries Management (RFM) program has rolled into CSI, allowing us to launch with existing certified fisheries that land approximately three million metric tonnes.