Introduction

The implementation of traceability in seafood exports is crucial for ensuring food safety, regulatory compliance, and market access. The Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), an autonomous body under the Government of India, focuses primarily on five key areas: Capture Fisheries; Culture Fisheries; Processing Infrastructure & Value Addition; Quality Control; and Market Promotion. Traceability in seafood exports tracks products through production, processing, and distribution to ensure food safety, prevent IUU fishing, and manage risks. It consists of supplier, process, and customer traceability. This system enhances accountability, exporter credibility, and regulatory compliance, ensuring a sustainable, transparent, and responsible seafood supply chain. Post-COVID, seafood sales have shifted towards institutional and household markets, with a preference for value-added and certified products over uncertified ones, reinforcing the principle that quality surpasses quantity.

Benefits of Traceability system

Traceability systems benefit producers by enhancing quality assurance and boosting bargaining power while providing exporters with confidence in global trade, reducing rejection risks. Many international markets, including the USA (Seafood Import Monitoring Programme – SIMP), EU (IUU fishing regulations), Japan, and China, have strict traceability requirements.

MPEDA’s initiatives to comply with Traceability regulations 

To comply with Traceability regulations, MPEDA has introduced initiatives such as farm enrolment with GPS mapping, ELISA testing for antibiotic residues, and real-time fish catch data collection. Regulatory frameworks like EIC and CAA ensure compliance for aquaculture farms and hatcheries. The EU has intensified inspections on Indian seafood due to past violations, necessitating strict monitoring, while Japan enforces stringent antibiotic-free requirements. The USA’s SIMP program mandates tracking seafood origins to combat Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing. To strengthen traceability, MPEDA leverages automation, GIS mapping, and mobile applications, supporting sustainable seafood exports from India.

Shrimp farming is a major sector, with 81% cultured shrimp and 19% captured shrimp, predominantly Vannamei shrimp (93%). MPEDA’s farm enrolment is recognized by international certification bodies such as BAP, ASC, GAA, and Aquaculture Certification Council, alongside global standards like HACCP, ISO 22000, BRC, SQF, and EU organic certifications (Naturland, Euroleaf, NPOP).

To combat IUU fishing, global fisheries policies such as the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) and FAO’s 2001 action plan emphasize sustainability. The Catch Certificate System, under EU Council Regulation No. 1005/2008, ensures traceability from catch to market, enforcing conservation rules and international compliance.