Who benefits from sustainable seafood? Examining equity across voluntary sustainability standards in small-scale fisheries

Market-based voluntary sustainability standards (VSS) that aim to incentivize sustainable practices in fisheries—such as certifications, improvement projects, and ratings—have proliferated over the past decade. However, with an explicitly narrow focus on environmental outcomes, it is unclear how these programs have affected social equity, and where, and to whom, the costs and benefits of participating in these initiatives accrue. In this project, we conduct a comparative case study using an empirical, mixed methods approach combining interviews, group discussion, and quantitative supply chain analyses to better understand how some VSS (Marine Stewardship Council, Fair Trade, Fishery Improvement Projects) enable, or hinder, equitable outcomes in seafood production. We examine three small-scale fisheries (SSF) in India, Maldives, and Indonesia that differ in size, species focus, and supply chain characteristics, to identify key equity issues (both perceived and realized) and ways in which they can be addressed. For each fishery, we focus on understanding how different dimensions of social equity are impacted by VSS and their interaction with a) international market dynamics and other regional fisheries, b) government policy and contextual or structural issues (e.g. debt, poverty), c) engagement with fishers and fishing communities, and d) the values of seafood organizations operating in a place as they relate to equity. For each fishery and supply chain, we discuss how these dynamics challenge the VSS theory of change and implications for equity and fairness. As VSS grow in SSF in low- and middle-income countries, it will be crucial for these models to learn from successful strategies and respond to place-specific equity concerns if they are to result in fair and durable conservation outcomes in the long term.

Authors:

Shreya Yadav, Marah Hardt, Lauren Apollaro, Frances Mapes-Pearson, Alison Grantham, Blake Harris, Hoyt Peckham, Abdulla Shakir Mohamed, Shiham Adam, Anes Jerina, S Velvizhi, Yudi Herdiana, Victor Nikijuluw, Candida Putri, Yolanda Apituley, Dionisius Bawole, Juno Fitzpatrick Castillo, Elena Finkbeiner

Keywords:

small-scale fisheries, voluntary sustainability standards, ecolabels, equity, global south, case study

Year:

2026