By: Usmawati Anggita Sakti

Ecolabel certification is important for fisheries business players to prove their responsibility for environmentally friendly processed seafood products. For this reason, Seafood Savers is present as a medium to support every fishery improvement activity towards MSC (Marine Stewardship Council) ecolabel certification for capture fisheries and ASC (Aquaculture Stewardship Council) ecolabel certification for aquaculture.

In the certification process, the certification body as an institution that conducts ecolabel certification assessments plays an important role in the sustainability of marine resources. In fact, the implementation of the assessment is usually carried out by auditors from outside Indonesia. In fact, the assessment can be more effective in terms of time and cost if the auditor comes from within the country. This is because local auditors are more familiar with the culture of fisheries practices in Indonesia. Therefore, in order to encourage the formation of local auditors, on May 23, Seafood Savers held a "Meeting Forum for Certification Body and Potential Auditor Candidates" to create opportunities for cooperation between the two parties. Located at Mercure Simatupang Hotel, the event was attended by certification bodies consisting of Control Union, SAI Global, TUV NORD Indonesia as well as potential assessors who are academics from various universities in Indonesia, Abdullah Habibi, Fisheries and Aquaculture Improvement Program Manager who explained the background of this meeting forum.

"Recently, there are some overseas buyers who are interested and willing to contribute funds for fisheries improvement programs in Indonesia, but there are also buyers who want certified products, without funding involved. Regardless of funding, demand for ecolabel certified seafood products is increasing internationally. Seafood Savers members currently number 14 companies and will complete the fisheries improvement program towards MSC and ASC certification. In the future, the role of certification body will certainly be needed. Therefore, the potential of local auditors who know more about Indonesian culture is important to be developed, "explained Abdullah Habibi.

Febrina Berlianti, Seafood Savers officer, also explained about Seafood Savers as well as ASC and MSC related training that has been conducted by WWF-Indonesia's capture and aquaculture technical team. The event continued with a Talkshow attended by three Certification Body representatives who discussed certification schemes, auditor affiliation mechanisms, and further capacity building for assessors where it is known that each certification body has a different mechanism related to the auditor recruitment process and the terms and conditions offered to companies to carry out full MSC and ASC assessments.

In addition to the certification body, Cut Desyana, Aquaculture Coordinator, added that to become an external auditor there is usually a requirement for training experience and one of them is ASC training organized by WWF. The forum then continued into a discussion of two groups, namely the certification body group and prospective auditors. The division of this group aims to make the discussion results more focused in discussing the possibility of cooperation opportunities from the certification body and prospective auditors. In the discussion between certification bodies, several conclusions were made, including 4 types of auditors for local auditors, namely (1) expert auditors with the fastest and easiest process; (2) consultants; (3) external auditors; and (4) in-house auditors.

Meanwhile, the discussion of prospective auditors resulted in several conclusions including WWF will help facilitate prospective participants to become auditors through organizing training, providing training information and bridging to connect to the Certification Body. In addition, the formation of a network with the slogan "Towards Responsible Fisheries" for the formation of auditors for the implementation of MSC or ASC pre/gap/full assessment which can be started by creating a general network and personal profile.

This meeting forum received a positive response from prospective auditor and certification body participants. It is hoped that through this meeting, good cooperation between parties can be formed, one of which is the birth of local auditors to conduct MSC or ASC pre/gap/full assessment.