Tracking the trade of octopus across East Africa and onto the Global Market- Challenges to Marine stewardship Council Certification Ambitions

Abstract

In Kenya and Tanzania octopus are a common food, and increasingly, a source of economic security as demand for octopus from international markets grow. Both Kenya and Tanzania’s octopus fisheries managers are interested in seeking Marine Stewardship Council certification in the future. However, little is known about the sustainability and market challenges faced by exporting actors and middlemen– key links between small-scale octopus fishers and their global markets. In this analysis, we synthesize the perspectives of exporters, middlemen, and key informants in order to provide the first available assessment of potential sustainability barriers both nations could face as they consider engaging with Marine Stewardship Council certification. We find that presently the Marine Stewardship’s three sustainability principles – sustainable stocks, reducing environmental impacts, and effective fisheries management are challenged by including, scarcity of product, the informal trade of immature octopus from Tanzania to Kenya and to the local market; and insufficient funding for management. Additionally, we found that Southern Tanzanian traders and agents are now buying octopus from Mozambique traders, so that trade volumes mask to some degree the extent of declining catch levels in Tanzania. This information will help local fisheries managers and interested organizations in assessing the viability and practicality of certification at this time.