Sustainability criteria for Fish and shellfish | The National Agency for Public Procurement

Fish and shellfish
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	EU-organic product – aquaculture	Advanced	Technical specification
Criterion information Organic aquaculture among other things reduces the aquacultures’ contribution to eutrophication and damages in the adjacent environment and assures that the feed used is traceable and organic. Organic aquaculture may mainly take place in ponds with natural beds, and in net bags in sea or lake. Procuring agencies that require organic aquaculture products contribute to aquaculture production in line with the common EU-organic regulations. Criterion text Products of farmed fish and other aquaculture products must fulfill the criteria in Regulation (EU) 2018/848 of the European Parliment and of the Council on organic production and labelling of organic products
	Information requirement prepared or preserved product – fish and shellfish	Advanced	Special contract terms
Criterion information Transparent information regarding where the fish is caught, with what fishing gear or aquaculture method facilitates for the consumer and increase the possibility of transferring information regarding sustainability aspects in the food chain. Procuring agencies who chooses to use special contract terms for prepared or preserved products contribute to increased dissemination of information regarding relevant traceability parameters. Criterion text At the latest at the start of the contract and continuously during the contract period, the supplier must provide written information regarding the ingredients of fish and/or shellfish for prepared or preserved products included in the contract and including one or more ingredients of fish and/or shellfish with a total content of fish and/or shellfish above 20%: The production method (caught/farmed) The area where the product was caught of farmed (FAO fishing area code, including subareas for FAO area 27)/farming country Category of fishing gear/ method of farming Commercial designation of the species Scientific name of the species *Prepared or preserved products of fish, shellfish and molluscs refers to products covered by the commodity codes 1604 and 1605 in the WCO harmonized system (HS) classification and the European Union Combined Nomenclature (CN codes), i.e prepared or preserved products containing more than 20% percentage by weight of fish, crustaceans, molluscs and/or other aquatic invertebrates. See example products in information about the requirement.
	Fish and shellfish from aquaculture	Core	Technical specification
Criterion information Aquaculture, understood as the practice of farming of fish, shellfish and molluscs, in marine-or freshwater environment, affects the surrounding environment in different ways. Aquaculture completely based on land also affects the environment. Traceability of feed ingredients and measures to minimize the release of fertilizing nutrients and chemicals in the surrounding environment are important sustainability parameters for aquaculture, irrespective of the farming method. Procuring agencies can contribute to aquaculture practices with respect for the surrounding ecosystem by requiring an environmental assessment and health plan. Criterion text Aquaculture products must come from production which meets the following minimum requirements: Feed ingredients must be traceable according to the following: For vegetable ingredients, the crop/type and production country must be stateable. For ingredients of wild caught species, the species name and fishing area must be stateable. For aquaculture ingredients, the species name, farming area and farming method must be stateable. The information can for example be stated trough the feed producer or in other ways. A health plan must be in place and include documentation of the use of chemicals and antibiotics at every production round: Antibiotics may only be used after veterinary prescription. If antibiotics are used, the dosage must be according to veterinary prescription and the total use is to be documented. An environmental assessment must be in place. The assessment must at least include the productions’ effect on the ecosystem, leakage of nutrients, escape risks, infection spreading and energy use.
	Wild fish and shellfish	Core	Technical specification
Criterion information Sustainable fisheries are made on stocks with long-term vitality without exceeding the biological reproduction capacity. Procuring agencies can contribute to sustainable maintenance of stocks and that the ecosystem is preserved trough demanding that fish and/or shellfish-ingredients comes from resilient stocks and that the fishing gear is adapted to minimize negative effects on other species in the form of bycatches and affected habitats. Criterion text Products with ingredients of wild fish/shellfish must come from vital stocks which are maintained through a sustainable harvest where fish-and shellfish resources are not overexploited. I addition the following requirements must be met: The structure, productivity and diversity in the ecosystem is preserved trough the use of fishing gear adapted to minimize the negative effects on other species in the form of bycatches and wounded habitats. The fishery must have an appropriately managed. This can for example be made trough a management plan or other system for stock estimation and counselling which can include agreements regarding measures of the stock size diminishes.
	No fish or shellfish marked as red or vulnerable	Core	Special contract terms
Criterion information Approximately one third of the worlds fish stocks are according to the FAO overfished and the fishing pressure on stocks which are assessed as vulnerable need to diminish. Trough the use of special contract terms, procuring agencies can contribute to assuring that products which are delivered does not come from stocks which are assessed as vulnerable. The contract terms also include aquaculture products. Criterion text The supplier undertakes to, from the start of the contract, only deliver products of fish and/or shellfish which are not from species and/or stocks which are assessed as marked red or vulnerable in a list, resource overview or similar which reflect the state of fish stocks in different fishing areas and/or the environmental effects of the aquaculture practice. The assessment in the list or resource overview can, for wild species, include parameters as for example: stock size reproductive capacity fishing pressure management For aquaculture species: feed use chemical use The procuring agency decides on the basis, i.e list, resource overview or similar, for the contract term. The following list or resource overview is the basis for the contract term: […………………………………………] The procuring agency will notify the supplier of the updated version if the indicated list och resource overview is updated during the term of the contract. Stocks of fish and/or shellfish marked as red or assessed as vulnerable may be added to or deleted from the list or overview when updated. The supplier shall apply the updated version at the latest [30] days from the notification.
	Fish and shellfish from sustainable stocks and sustainable aquaculture	Advanced	Special contract terms
Criterion information Fisheries exploits a wild resource and sustainable use of the worlds fish stocks is one of the most important sustainability aspects within the product area fish and shellfish. For aquaculture, feed use often dominates the environmental footprint but also a health plan as well as eco-system effects are relevant sustainability parameters. Trough special contract terms, procuring agencies can assure that the products delivered are assessed to be from sustainable stocks and aquaculture. Criterion text The supplier undertakes to, from the start of the contract, only deliver products of wild fish/shellfish from stocks which on scientific ground are assessed as sustainably used regarding the following parameters: Stock size Stock reproductive capacity Fishing pressure Adapted fishing gear to minimize bycatch and bottom effects Management Eco-system effects The supplier undertakes to, from the start of the contract, only deliver products of fish/shellfish from aquaculture which are assessed as sustainable regarding the following parameters: Feed use Chemical use Health-parameters of the fish/shellfish Eco-system effects This can be manifested by that the species/stock/aquaculture method is marked as green, i.e assessed to be sustainable in a list or resource overview assessing the above-mentioned parameters. The procuring agency decides on the basis, i.e list, resource overview or similar, for the contract term. The following list or resource overview is the basis for the contract term: […………………………………………] The procuring agency will notify the supplier of the updated version if the indicated list och resource overview is updated during the term of the contract. Stocks of fish and/or shellfish marked as red or assessed as vulnerable may be added to or deleted from the list or overview when updated. The supplier shall apply the updated version at the latest [30] days from the notification.
	Reduced environmental and climate impact from fishing vessels and production facilities	Advanced	Technical specification
Criterion information Fishing vessels does not only affect the environment trough fishing but also trough discharges from engines and cooling systems. For prepared products, the production facilities of the processing industry also affect the environmental footprint of the final product. Trough requesting that the fish ingredients which are bought comes from energy efficient fishing vessels and production facilities, procuring agencies can contribute to the reducing of other environmental and climate impacts associated with fishing. Criterion text Products with ingredients of wild fish-/shellfish must come from production which fulfills the following requirements: The fishing vessels’ fuel consumption does not exceed: 0,10 L per kilo whole landed herring, mackerel or sprat 0,33 L per kilo living cod, saithe, haddock and flatfish prepared on board 0,35 L per kilo landed cleaned cod, saithe, haddock and flatfish prepared on land. 1,5 L per kilo landed living shellfish (prawn, crayfish) – if the shellfish are landed boiled, recalculation to living weight should be done. HFC-compounds (Hydrofluorocarbons) does not occur as cooler on the vessel. The processing/production facility does only use renewable electricity.

Fish and shellfish have many positive health-effects and we are encouraged to eat more, preferably two to three times a week according to the Swedish Food Agency. At the same time the Swedish Food Agency advise against serving certain fish due to high levels of pollutants [1].

Procuring agencies which consider sustainability aspects when procuring fish and shellfish can contribute to the Swedish environmental goals of sea in balance and a living coast and archipelago, living lakes and streams [2] as well as number 14 on life below water of the global development goals of sustainable development.

Fishing is the only form of food production in large scale that uses a wild resource. One of the most important sustainability parameters for wild fish and shellfish is the sustainable use of the stocks. About one third of the commercially used fish stocks (33%) are currently overfished and the fishing pressure on these stocks need to be reduced. The majority of assesses stocks (60%) are used fully, which means they are fished at sustainable levels but that the fishing pressure cannot increase. Given an increased demand for wild fish, the possibilities to increase the uptake of fish from the sea are limited, even if all fishing was made in a more sustainable way than today [3].

Aquaculture is often mentioned as the solution to the limited production capacity of wild fish, given an increased demand. Farming of fish and shellfish in aquaculture demand feed among other things, which often is the dominating parameter for the environmental footprint of the product. Aquaculture which does not require feed (clams, algae etc.) therefore have environmental benefits [5]. When feed is used, the amount and type of feed are important sustainability parameters. The possibility, however, to completely exchange for example fishmeal and fish oil is limited, especially for predators such as salmon [6].

[More information in the Swedish version]

[1] Livsmedelsverket. Bra måltider i förskolan, 2016. Bra måltider i skolan, 2019. Bra måltider på sjukhus, 2020.

[2] Miljömålen.se, 2018

[3] FAO-SOFIA, 2018

[5] Ziegler et al., 2016

[6] Guerden et al., 2008

Fish and shellfish

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