NEWS

Recent Reports from the URI Sustainble Seafood Initiative

Expected Benefits of Fisheries Certification: Results of a Survey of MSC Fisheries Clients What motivates fisheries to enter assessment for certification against the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) standard of sustainability? What expectations do fisheries have with respect to possible market and non-market benefits from certification? The research presented in this report is based on a survey of fisheries clients conducted in May and June 2009 by Cathy Roheim and Tarsila Seara to systematically gather answers to just such questions from the more than 100 fisheries certified and in the assessment process by the MSC.

The market for certified wood products: What can the seafood sector learn from the applied research? This report is a brief literature review of published literature concerning the markets for certified wood products. The report characterizes what is known about market benefits from certification of forestry products, and consumer preferences for certified wood products. The goal is to provide insights for the seafood industry through lessons which may be learned from the forestry sector.

Illustration of U.S. Organic Agricultural Produce Price Premiums: Implications for Ecolabeled Seafood Price Premiums One of the frequent questions asked concerning seafood ecolabelling is whether or not the market actually does reward producers through price premiums for their products. Indicators of upper bounds on seafood ecolabel price premiums may be premiums that are being paid for organic agricultural products in the U.S. market. This report by Cathy A. Roheim and Ronald D'silva, prepared in June 2009, compiles results from several research reports which show organic price premiums paid in the U.S. market, at several levels of the market, for a large variety of agricultural products.

A Consensus Seafood Guide At the June 2008 meeting of the Sustainable Seafood Forum (SSF), the members of SSF requested that a consensus seafood guide be developed, based upon the numerous seafood guides currently in existence. With funding from Sam King, Michelle Armsby and Cathy Roheim of the University of Rhode Island Sustainable Seafood Initiative compiled the list contained within this document.