The Fishing Was Good – It Was the Catching That Was Bad

Famous writer and fisherman A K Best said it – pardon the pun – best, with his quote: ‘the fishing was good, it was the catching that was bad’. Although he was not referring to traceability systems, the quote certainly sums up one of the main reasons for implementing traceability on seafood: to prevent non-compliant fishing practices.

This article describes some interesting developments in the last few years with regard to seafood traceability.

Bangladesh

Last year, I wrote an article for this newsletter’s sister publication, Authentication & Brand News™, on how the government of Bangladesh was trying to improve the quality of the shrimp produced in-country by implementing a traceability system as a method of control.

The system consists of a QR code containing information on the individual shrimp farmer, type of shrimp, and the supply chain. The code also carries an international certificate of conformity to reassure consumers the shrimp is safe to eat.