WASHINGTON — An update released by the Certification and Ratings Collaboration today makes the Collaboration’s data tool the most comprehensive available resource offering a high-level overview of the environmental performance for more than half of global seafood production.

“The data tool allows our organizations to share a more complete picture of environmental performance than any one organization could offer on its own,” said Chris Ninnes, CEO of the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) and chair of the Collaboration’s steering committee.

Launched in 2020, the tool has grown to include data from collaboration member organizations ASC, Fair Trade USA, Marine Stewardship Council, Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch^® Program, and Sustainable Fisheries Partnership, as well as data from the Global Seafood Alliance’s Best Aquaculture Practices program. The version released today is the first to incorporate data from the Qingdao Marine Conservation Society (QMCS), a non-governmental environmental organization based in and focused on China, the world’s largest seafood producer.

The integration of QMCS data, as well as the expanded reach of certification and ratings programs contributing to the data tool makes the updated tool unique in its reach. The updated version provides environmental performance data on almost 55% of global production, including tonnage certified or rated by contributing programs or in fishery improvement projects (FIPs) or aquaculture improvement projects (AIPs) covered by the tool.

The Collaboration also hosts a social data tool, which compiles human rights abuses and risks data on 92 seafood producing countries. This data shows that 65% of countries assessed have documented evidence of forced labor, child labor or human trafficking in seafood.

“There is still much more to learn about the environmental and social performance of seafood production worldwide,” said Ninnes. “But the data tool’s reach makes it an invaluable resource for businesses, governments and international bodies, and NGOs committed to responsible seafood production.”