Exploring Sustainable Seafood Practices on #WorldFoodDay

Ever wondered where your fish really comes from – or what its true impact on the planet is? Unlike meat and vegetables, which have established sustainability indicators, seafood lacks a unified, reliable system to measure the complexity of the sustainability aspects associated with seafood catch and production.

VeriFish, funded under Horizon Europe and Mission Ocean and Waters, aims to change that. It is the first initiative to design a dedicated framework for assessing seafood sustainability based on scientific and pre-validated data on environmental, nutritional and socio-economic aspects – all in one place, making its impact on people and the planet visible and verifiable.

Making seafood sustainability measurable

At the heart of this effort is the VeriFish Indicator Framework, which combines data from trusted sources such as the Global Record of Stocks and Fisheries, FAO, FishBase and more. These data assess three key aspects of seafood production: environmental, social & economic, and nutrition & health. This framework is being developed into a web application, currently in testing, which will provide insights on fish species characteristics combined with details about stocks status, nutrition values and environmental impacts.

‘The system provides producers, consumers and citizens with comprehensive aggregated data on environmental impact, nutritional values and socio-economic conditions associated with a fishery,’ explains Sara Pittonet Gaiarin, Senior Manager at Trust-IT Services and coordinator of VeriFish. ‘It is also conceived to allow fishermen and aquaculture producers to log specific details of catches, fishing method, location and applicable certifications, and state their contribution and commitment to sustainable fishery’.

In this way, stakeholders in the value chain can rely on these sources to communicate sustainability levels of the products they sell, and consumers can make informed decisions about what they choose to put on their plate.

Better information, better seafood choices

One of VeriFish’s main goals is to increase sustainable seafood consumption, in line with the Farm to Fork strategy. In Europe, seafood consumption is lower than meat, and local products often struggle against imports. A key reason is lack of awareness – consumers may not know the value, provenance or health benefits of seafood. To address this, VeriFish will release a series of guidelines in 2026 to help producers, retailers and restaurants communicate seafood sustainability more clearly - good information makes seafood more attractive in the market and encourages consumption of sustainable options.

Collaboration for food security

Beyond tools and guidelines, VeriFish invests in engagement and collaboration. A Community of Practice brings stakeholders together to exchange feedback, assess the data gathering workflow and discuss how to exploit VeriFish assets to better communicate about sustainability. Creative outreach, including a card game, videos, and upcoming posters and informative materials, aim to raise awareness among citizens. The project works closely with its sister initiative Mr. Goodfish and is developing a CEN Workshop Agreement under the European Committee for Standardisation to recommend best practices for promoting sustainable seafood.

This collaboration is crucial given the stakes. Addressing seafood sustainability is complex, spanning borders and actors, but it holds enormous promise. As global food demand grows, sustainably managed fisheries and aquaculture are among the most viable ways to feed humanity. Both fisheries and aquaculture hold great potential for feeding the future, and the more sustainably they are managed, the stronger the global food system will be.

https://projects.research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/en/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-open-calls/horizon-europe/eu-missions-horizon-europe/restore-our-ocean-and-waters/choose-your-fish-how-verifish-brings-transparency-your-plate