A question of market access The demand for certified and environmentally friendly fish has increased in recent years, although it varies by country as well as customer. If a company wants to provide goods to market, it must be able to offer certification for those goods. Certifications are often required in Britain, while demand for certifications is rising in the United States. They are a necessity in Switzerland. France has yet to go this route, although it considered likely to do so in the future. Svavar Thór Gudmundsson, the managing director of Sæmark, said that the question of certification is a question of access. “Either you have the certification or not,” he said. “If you have a supermarket that requires certification for business, you have no other choice than to offer him certified products. This is for example very important for our largest clients in Britain, which is why we obtained MSC certification a while back.” Once Sæmark received the MSC certification, the company was able to re-enter the Swiss market, for example. When asked if customers are willing to pay a higher price for a certified product, Svavar said no. This is more of a question of market access. “The price isn’t any higher today, but instead we get full access to markets which is of course very important.” The company has also been meeting increased demand for fresh line-caught fish, as the fishing line is considered an environmentally friendly tool. This is particularly true pertaining to Britain, where some companies are now specialising in selling fresh, line-caught fish. The demand for certification has not been high in France, as the market is a high-volume market. “The French want high volume and
high quality, and they know that we and the Norwegians offer both. The French buy mostly from these two countries that are meeting their current needs. This could change, however,“ Svavar said. » Consumer interest has not been demonstrated Gudný Káradóttir, Director at Promote Iceland and Marketing Director for Iceland Responsible Fisheries, said there is no market research indicating that fish consumers consider certification so important that it actually determines whether people eat fish or not. Certification is not as important to consumers as some would have you think, although it does vary somewhat by market area. There are, however, many companies that want to demonstrate social responsibility and therefore stress the purchase of certified, traceable fish that confirms responsible fishing and processing practices. Icelandic companies took the initiative of setting up marketing project Iceland Responsible Fisheries. The project both identifies Icelandic seafood products that are processed from stock in Icelandic waters through a certificate of origin and also works toward getting third party certification on Icelandic fishing. The Iceland Responsible Fisheries certification confirms responsible fisheries management and good stewardship of marine resources. The project also places heavy emphasis on the Icelandic origin of marine products. Cod is the only type of fish that is domestically certified through Iceland Responsible Fisheries, as a long-term plan has not yet been implemented for other types. Three other types are in the certification process: golden redfish, haddock and saithe, and are expected to be certified soon. n
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