Global ecolabelling certification standards and ASEAN fisheries: Can fisheries legislations in ASEAN countries support the fisheries certification?

Abstract

Fisheries, particularly small-scale fisheries, in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries are an important source of food security, nutrition, and livelihood for people. However, high fishing pressure and other impacts have resulted in a decline of fisheries resources, questioning the future sustainability of fisheries. Ecolabelling is a tool developed based on the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Guideline for Ecolabelling of Fish and Fisheries Products from Marine/Inland Fisheries. In the past decades, only a few fisheries in ASEAN countries have been certified. This study particularly focuses on the legal frameworks of these countries and reviews the existing national fisheries legislation, including laws, acts, decrees, directives, rules, and regulations in ASEAN countries in relation to the requirement of the fisheries certification standards. The review reveals that although the legal frameworks in ASEAN member states generally provide a fair basis for their fisheries to meet the requirement of the fisheries certification standards, further improvements are required to incorporate the concept of adaptive management, precautionary approaches, and reference points on fishery management objectives. Monitoring, control, and surveillance of fisheries and other enforcement activities for fisheries legislations are other challenges to ensure sustainability of fisheries through fisheries certification.