The Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) has formulated guidelines and criteria for green certification or eco-labelling of ornamental fish, a first-of-its-kind initiative.
The document would be sent to international organisations like Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) for constructive suggestions and later would be released for stakeholders, Leena Nair, chairperson of MPEDA said. Green Certification or eco-labelling is the certification given to a product to ensure its environmental and socio-economic sustainability. It ensures product quality, safety and traceability, which in turn, would enhance consumer acceptance of the product, she added.
An international workshop on green certification of ornamental fish held by MPEDA, in association with UNCTAD and Project PIABA, recommended the constitution of a national task force for developing guidelines and criteria for green certification of freshwater ornamental fish from India.
Accordingly, a seven-member task force was constituted for the purpose, MPEDA sources said. The task force has gone into all details regarding collection of ornamental fish from the wild, their handling, holding facilities, culture of ornamental fish species, and the facilities needed for exports. The task force also looked in to the geographical indications of each species, and requirements needed for import of exotic species.
The task force document gives in detail all requirements and criteria necessary for each link in the value chain system, adoption of which would enable traceability and information about the way fish is handled at various stages of the chain of custody.
Nair said that certification also assures sustainability and safeguard of environment?? either from the wild or the culture system??from which fish is collected . This would also enable supply of healthy fish which will have consumer acceptability at premium prices.