As the third-largest fish producer in the world, India plays a vital role in the global seafood trade. Our country alone contributes nearly 8 per cent to the world’s fish production, underscoring its role in the global seafood industry. In 2023-24, we have exported 1.78 million tonnes of seafood worth $7.38 billion.

As seafood moves from domestic coastlines to global markets, focusing on traceable quality assurance could help Indian seafood exporters meet international standards, ensure product authenticity, and validate responsible sourcing. It could help meet consumers’ demand for safe and sustainably sourced products and address supply chain issues that lead to food fraud and illegal fishing. On that note, let’s explore how enhancing traceability can transform India’s seafood industry and support exports.

Understanding the importance of traceability in India’s seafood industry

With India exporting seafood to more than 120 countries, the nation aims . Besides India, the US, the European Union, and Japan are the other leading seafood markets. As more consumers seek quality food products, the need for quality assurance and traceability has increased, especially to tackle illegal fishing activities and the inflow of substandard products.

A study found that globally, illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing activities lead to an annual loss of around USD 23.5 billion. This loss underscores the need for transparency and sustainability to retain product integrity throughout the supply chain.

Additionally, suitable quality standards and traceability measures can help seafood industry players mitigate issues that lead to rejections and become reliable exporters of high-quality seafood in new markets. It will also facilitate in tracing seafood from its source and timely identification in case of a product recall. In turn, such measures could eliminate issues hindering the industry from achieving higher export targets.

Challenges hampering the Indian seafood market’s growth

Issues related to inconsistent labelling, lack of transparency about product data, and gaps in maintaining quality across the value chain are rampant within the industry. Among these, challenges such as mislabeling, adulteration, and illegal fishing expose exporters to the risk of bans in international markets.

The growing instances of food fraud in the form of misrepresentation and tampering also compromise product authenticity, which hampers consumer trust. As more international markets and global consumers emphasise sustainability and quality, India must address these gaps. In this regard, traceable and verifiable labelling that meet global standards can prove effective.

How traceability can build trust and meet global standards

At a time when India is expanding its seafood market’s presence globally, having interoperable traceable systems in place will help validate its sustainable practices and efforts towards responsible sourcing. These efforts help build a global supply chain prioritising safety, authenticity, and accountability.

Traceability standards are becoming indispensable as more consumers expect detailed information about a product’s origin, safety, and sustainability before purchasing it. Meeting these expectations can help enhance Indian seafood exporters’ credibility and offer a competitive edge over other exporting countries.

The global reforms and shift in consumer sentiment have prompted key players in the Indian seafood industry to become mindful of quality assurance and traceability needs. Export facilitation authorities work with stakeholders to implement international seafood standards, such as the US Seafood Import Monitoring Program (SIMP). The SIMP demands thorough documentation for at-risk seafood products. Complying with such global standards could help Indian seafood products sustain in the EU and USA markets that follow strict import requirements.

Role of global standards in ensuring proper labelling

A standardised labelling system may ensure a flow of information and boost the traceability of seafood products across a supply chain. This transparency could lower rejection rates and help gain access to high-demand international markets. For instance, The European regulations has set stronger traceability frameworks to ensure that the imported products comply with safety protocols. It is interesting to note that Vietnamese government ensured accountability of the traceability systems in the seafood sector in the last decade. It has shown more than one hundred percent growth from the year 2014 (4.2 billion) to 2024 (9.5 billion).

Compliance to norms could strengthen India’s credibility and help meet the expectations of global consumers who favour ethical sourcing. Interoperable traceability systems supported by barcodes could also promote sustainable fishing practices across the globe by monitoring and verifying how sustainably the products have been sourced and supplied. This insight can help conserve marine ecosystems and resources.

India, as a global exporter of safe and sustainable seafood products, has the potential to emerge as a world leader. By focusing on traceability measures, it can position itself as a trusted supplier of high-quality seafood. However, in this regard, collaborations across the industry would prove valuable. For instance, joint efforts of the government, seafood companies, and processing units to implement traceability across the supply chain could assure product quality, safety, and, sustainable sourcing.

This way, focused efforts to boost traceable quality assurance can benefit the industry and strengthen India’s export earnings. Additionally, it may help India strengthen its foothold in the international market

The author is Chief Executive Officer, GS1 India

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