GDST (Global Dialogue on Seafood Traceability)

GDST (Global Dialogue on Seafood Traceability) is a business-to-business platform established to create international standards for seafood traceability.

This could lead to the depletion of fishery resources and the destruction of the marine environment.IUU (Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated) fishingIt was launched in April 2017 at the initiative of the international NGOs WWF and the Global Food Traceability Centre (GFTC) with the aim of eradicating foodborne diseases. It became an independent entity in October 4.

The number of GDST member companies, which was initially 24, has expanded to more than 2021 by November 11, including Taiwan's FCF, one of the world's largest tuna trading companies (*80).

Ensuring the traceability of seafood products is a prerequisite for effective measures against IUU fishing, but a lack of consistency in the information used in the traceability systems of each country and a lack of compatibility between different systems have been major obstacles to achieving widespread, shareable traceability.

After a three-year drafting process, the GDST released the GDST Standards and Guidelines for Interoperable Seafood Traceability Systems Version 3 (GDST 2020) in March 3, the world's first industry standard to enable consistent tracking of seafood from the time it is caught to the time it is sold.

GDST 1.0 establishes standards governing the Key Data Elements (KDEs) that must be recorded and communicated within the seafood supply chain, as well as the technical format and nomenclature for sharing that data between traceability systems. The standards are also designed to support compliance with import regulations, such as the U.S. Seafood Import Monitoring Scheme and the EU IUU Fishing Regulations, and with Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs).

GDST 1.0 does not impose a "one-size-fits-all" solution, but is designed to be flexible to be implemented across multiple systems, including cutting-edge technologies such as blockchain, and can be introduced gradually to suit each company's unique circumstances.

By using the KDEs defined by the GDST to ensure that the systems used by each company and industry are interoperable, it will be possible to invest in traceability systems that are in line with global trends and technological developments(*2).

It has also been reported that traceability provides a better return on investment than mergers and acquisitions, as it increases profit margins by avoiding the risks associated with IUU fishing, and reduces the need for voluntary product recalls and disposals, as well as the associated legal costs(*3).

In response to the growing trend toward electronic data entry into supply chains around the world, the GDST announced an update to GDST 2022 in March 3, and in June 1.1 began online testing to verify whether data using the GDST standard can be shared and interoperable between traceability systems (*2022).

Citation

*1 "Largest tuna trader in the world joins the Global Dialogue on Seafood Traceability (GDST)'

*2　Executive Summary of "GDST Standards and Guidelines for Interoperable Seafood Traceability Systems Version 1.0"

*3　"Traceability doubles profits in seafood processing industry" - UK report

*4　“Launch of GDST Capability Test is a Major Leap Forward in Bringing Quality Assurances and Practical Adoption Support to the Seafood Industry”