Visiting Danish expert questions eco-labelling standards

  • Mikkel Thrane

Presse/medie

Beskrivelse

Sustainable seafood labels that certify a fish product as “eco-friendly” should include considerations of energy consumption (causing global warming) and should ideally be based on life cycle thinking, says Mikkel Thrane, Associate Professor from Aalborg University, Denmark who spoke in Wellington this week. On Tuesday Mikkel presented the findings from his research at a lunchtime seminar at MFish head office. His research included assessing the environmental impacts of fish products on the Danish market and to do this he used Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and carbon footprint analysis. Mikkel looked at a wide range of products, including flatfish, cod, shrimp, mussels, herring, and mackerel. The LCA and carbon footprint approach looks at the environmental impact caused by the stages used to get the fish from the sea to the table including fishing, landing and auction, processing, wholesale, transport, retail, and use. “In terms of environmental impact, the fishing stage is the most important stage,” says Mikkel. He looked at the energy use for harvesting flatfish and considered fuel consumption (litres of fuel used per kg of caught fish), as a function of species type, vessel size, and gear. He found that beam trawling has a much higher rate of fuel consumption (2.6 litres per kg of caught flatfish) than bottom trawling or seining (1 litre and 0.18 litres per kg of caught flatfish respectively). “Current environmental regulations are focused on the wrong step,” says Mikkel. “Cleaner production efforts are being focused on issues of minor importance. Too much attention has been paid to the processing stage instead of the fishing stage.” Labels such as the Marine Stewardship Council’s (MSC) eco-label that focus on the sustainability of fishing stocks and processing methods should also consider energy use. Mikkel was also concerned about airfreight, used to ship MSC eco-labelled products, which causes very high contributions to global warming. “They should ban air freight for MSClabelled products. It doesn’t make sense to put a label on a product reflecting sustainability when noncarbon friendly shipping methods are being used.” After the presentation, a lively discussion with the audience took place. “Are there any alternatives to regulation?” some MFish staff members asked. Placing carbon taxes on the use of fuel by fishing vehicles was also suggested. “This talk raises the question of whether MSC should extend its assessment criteria beyond fisheries sustainability into broader environmental issues,” says MFish Chief Economist, Ralph Townsend. “Is there a risk that consumers misinterpret the specific assessment being made by MSC as being a wider environmental assessment?"On the other hand, if the MSC should broaden its scope, is there a risk that the effectiveness of its widely respected work on evaluating fisheries management will be diminished?” Mikkel has been travelling in New Zealand and learning about our fishing industry. When asked about what brought him to New Zealand, he answered “New Zealand! I love the nature and the environment.”
Periode30 jan. 2009

Mediedækning

1

Mediedækning

  • TitelVisiting Danish expert questions eco-labelling standards
    Mediets navn/udløb"Go Fish". Published by Ministry of Fisheries. New Zealand Government
    Varighed/længde/størrelse1-2
    Dato30/01/2009
    PersonerMikkel Thrane