Developing an International Standard for the Trade in Live Reef Food Fish - SEAFOOD Ecolabelling: Principles and Practice - page 170

8.4.3 Determining key elements for inclusion in the

LRFFT Standard

In order to produce a meaningful and effective standard, the drafting team adopted
a multi-faceted process of gathering background information on the key elements
for inclusion in the LRFFT Standard. This approach included:
compiling all available information on current industry best practices using
available background papers and reports;
synthesising existing codes of conduct and best practices for fisheries and other
agricultural products and conducting interviews with representatives of the var-
ious enabling organisations, including but not limited to:
(a) FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries;
(b) Canadian Code of Conduct for Responsible Fishing Operations;
(c) Forest Stewardship Council Requirements and Criteria for Sustainable
Forestry;
(d) Marine Aquarium Council International Performance Standards for the
Marine Aquarium Trade; and
(e) Marine Stewardship Council Principles and Criteria for Sustainable
Fishing.
It was also necessary to gain realistic perspectives from supply and demand sec-
tors throughout the Asia-Pacific region where the LRFFT operated by conduct-
ing informal consultations with a broad range of individuals and organisations
with experience and expert knowledge of the LRFFT. Those consulted were drawn
from:

staff within the key partner organisations based within the Asia-Pacific re-
gion (i.e. Pacific Islands, the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Hong Kong and
Australia);
informed individuals within organisations with close affiliations to the trade
including industry peak bodies (e.g. Hong Kong Chamber of Seafood Merchants
(HKCSM)), management agencies, enabling agencies (e.g. the Secretariat of
the Pacific Community (SPC), the Network of Aquaculture Centres of Asia
(NACA)) and non-partner NGOs (e.g. the Society for Conservation of Reef
Fish Aggregations (SCRFA)); and
relevant stakeholders attending larger international meetings and conferences
such as the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and Conference of Parties
(COP), again utilising the contact networks of the key partner organisations.

As a preliminary step in the development of the first draft of the standard for
external review, a pre-draft standard listing of key requirements was formulated by
the drafting team in late April 2002. This pre-draft document, which focused on the
wild capture of target LRFF species and their handling, holding and distribution,