scope:

The reform of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) aims to provide a stable, secure and healthy food supply. Sustainability is at the heart of the proposed reform. Fishing sustainably means fishing at levels that do not endanger the reproduction of stocks and that provide high long-term yields. This requires managing the volume of fish taken out of the sea through fishing. At the same time, an improved framework for aquaculture is expected to increase production and supply of seafood. To enforce the CFP rules, a control system is designed to ensure that fish products can be traced back and checked throughout the supply chain. Checks are carried out at every point in the chain from the boat to the retailer: in ports where fish is landed or trans-shipped, during transport, in factories that process fish and at markets where fish is sold. At every point along the chain, for every consignment of fish, information must be provided that proves that it was caught legally. The CFP rules require that all fish products are traceable to their source. To achieve traceability throughout the fish product supply chain, various tracking and tracing methodologies and technologies must be integrated in the operational business processes carried out by the different actors along the chain. As a result, different traceability systems must have the ability to exchange information and to use the information that has been exchanged. Traceability systems by the different actors along the chain must be interoperable to guarantee fast, accurate and cost-effective exchange of information. Standardization is a common approach towards achieving interoperability. There is also a wide range of technologies, ranging from simple to advanced IT systems, and from open source to closed source commercial systems, which can support a standard. The challenge lies in the fact that there is often more than one standard available and used by the actors along the supply chain. Some standards have a narrow ...