What sets Artysanal® apart
Rewarding artisanal fishers for successfully blending environmental, social and economic factors.
The main fishing labels do not draw any distinction between harvesting devices. Nor do they take account of the social or economic aspect that fisheries have to consider. The Artysanal® label is different. As with any label, it is not a tool for managing fisheries, rather it is a tool for differentiating products for consumers. Unlike other initiatives, it is not only based on environmental considerations but Artysanal® also includes social and economic aspects as recommended by the United Nations Code of Conduct for Responsible Fishing (FAO).
Artysanal® thereby makes it possible to identify the products on the market that come from artisanal fisheries that are managed in a responsible way. Rigorous criteria are assessed, checked and certified by an independent body -Eurofins Certification – to guarantee that labelled products come from artisanal fisheries that strive to: →
- Harvest without endangering the resource
- Respect people and their basic rights
- Enable artisanal fishers to earn a decent living from their work
Promoting responsible fishing
Until now the main fishing labels have sought to determine whether or not fisheries are sustainable and their approaches have been based on a strictly quantitative understanding of sustainable development. Yet fisheries are subject to a host of uncertainties (climate change, interactions between species, degradation of habitats, etc.) and the mounting controversy over the relevance of these labels shows that sustainability is an objective that is constantly evolving. That is why the Artysanal® label is based on the idea of “best efforts” within fisheries. This is a holistic approach to fishing based on qualitative considerations that make it possible to gauge the best efforts with regard to the prevailing environmental, social and economic aspects of identified fisheries.
Technical components of the Label
Artysanal® incorporates the criteria featuring in the FAO reference document: Code of Conduct for Responsible Fishing and the Directives for ecolabelling of fish. In particular, the labelling programming complies with the following requirements:
The labelling programme is open to any small-scale artisanal costal fishery without discrimination in order to avoid erecting any barrier to trade. This is an international legal requirement. The purpose of this measure is to prevent exclusion of fisheries from developing countries.
Artysanal® gives what it promises. Consumers are able to monitor and measure the extent to which this commitment is kept. Vague promises about responsible fishing are not enough for us. That is why we have set out exact environment, social and economic criteria.
The management system for the Artysanal® label is based on audits conducted in a confidential and impartial fashion. Eurofins Certification is accredited to carry out audits for numerous systems of references in the food sector and is therefore well suited to work in this sector. The company undertakes to provide independent auditors in order to avoid any conflicts of interest. Furthermore, the certification process and the final decision relating to it are the responsibility of an independent team (separate from the auditors).
In addition to the accreditation and certification procedures, the Artysanal® labelling programme submits to appropriate checks to ensure that it complies with the FAO requirements, that audits are conducted properly and that the information passed on to consumers is accurate.
Consumers are informed of the criteria used by the Artysanal® label. They also have access to all information relating to the label’s system of references. Lastly, so as to ensure awareness of the label, consumers are given relevant information on the products, at points of sales and on the internet.