Certified Seafood International (CSI) is a third-party certification program for wild-capture fisheries.

THIRD-PARTY CERTIFICATION

Certified Seafood International (CSI) is a third-party certification program for wild-capture fisheries. Benchmarked by the Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative (GSSI), CSI audits fisheries management against a clear and rigorous Fisheries Standard grounded in the globally recognized guidance of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

INDEPENDENTLY ASSESSED

Fisheries are independently assessed and scored against a set of criteria, and must meet these criteria in order to become certified. Certification is valid for five years with annual surveillance audits.

CREDIBLE STANDARDS

CSI maintains two GSSI-benchmarked certification standards:

1. Fisheries Standard

2. Chain of Custody Standard (CoC)

AUDITED

Organizations in the supply chain must undergo a CoC audit to receive their CoC certification, which is valid for three years with annual surveillance audits.

CSI ASSESSMENT PROCESS

CSI lays out the following assessment and reassessment stages.

The At-sea Processors Association is the fishery client for the certification of Alaska pollock under the Certified Seafood International Program.

CSI currently maintains RFM Fisheries Standard 2.0, which focuses on six key principles of evaluation including:

1.) the fisheries management system

2.) science and stock assessment activities

3.) the precautionary approach

4.) management measures

5.) implementation, monitoring and control

6.) serious impacts of the fishery on the ecosystem.

The Alaska pollock fishery was first certified to the then-RFM Program in 2011, with successful re-certification occurring in 2017 and 2023. The current third party fishery certification body responsible for the Alaska pollock assessment is DNV. For further details on the CSI Program and to view recent certification documents and certificates for the Alaska pollock fishery, CLICK HERE.