Why CoC?

Benefits to Chain of Custody Certification

The Chain of Custody standard will assess if a company’s traceability procedures are in compliance with the standard and their ability to trace back to the certified fishery. A successful certification will recognize a company’s commitment to responsibly sourcing seafood from an independently assessed certified fishery. The Chain of Custody certificate will help to endorse any marketing claims made by a successful company to attract new customers.

Who Will Need Chain of Custody Certification

If a company buys seafood from a certified fishery and wishes to make the certified claim on any of their packaging, Chain of Custody certification is required.

To make the claim, each organization that takes ownership of the certified seafood, from the point of first handling after the seafood has been landed, until it is delivered to the customer, will need to be certified to the Chain of Custody Standard. The types of companies that will be required to apply are:

  • Vessel Groups
  • Primary Processor/Packers
  • Secondary Processors/Canners/Manufacturers
  • Distributors/Wholesalers
  • Retailers/Food Service Operations

When Chain of Custody is Not Required

  • If a company is solely employed to transport the certified seafood and does not take ownership of the consignment, they will not be required to be certified to the standard. This portion of the supply chain will be assessed at the company’s application stage, who takes ownership of the product and who contracts the transport company.
  • If a company buys seafood from a certified fishery but does not wish to make the certified claim on any of their packaging they will not require certification.
  • A company that buys certified seafood in a tamper-proof consumer pack for display in a retail or foodservice operation will not require certification.

If a company is unsure if they need to comply with the Chain of Custody standard they can contact Susan Marks at smarks@alaskaseafood.org or the program’s certification body for more advice.

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