Coller FAIRR Seafood Index
Glossary
The following terms and abbreviations are used in the Coller FAIRR Seafood Index.
Term | Definition |
|---|---|
AIP | Aquaculture Improvement Project |
Algae oils | Plant-based oils, often produced from marine microalgae, that can be used as an alternative source of omega-3 fatty acids in aquafeed, food, or supplements. |
Alternative proteins | Products and ingredients derived from plant-based or novel protein sources and processes such as traditional, biomass or precision fermentation and cell cultivation. |
API | Active pesticide ingredient |
Aquaculture | The controlled cultivation of aquatic organisms such as fish, shellfish, and seaweed, in freshwater, brackish, or marine environments. |
Aquafeed | Specialised feed designed to provide required nutrients for farmed aquatic species. |
ASC | Aquaculture Stewardship Council |
BBNJ Agreement | Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction |
Biosecurity | Measures used to prevent the introduction, spread, and impact of diseases, pests, or invasive species in aquaculture or fisheries. |
Bivalves | A group of shellfish with two-part shells, such as mussels, oysters, clams, and scallops. These typically feed by filtering phytoplankton, bacteria, and detritus from water. |
Carbon sequestration | The process of capturing and storing carbon dioxide (or carbon-containing minerals), helping to reduce the amount of carbon in the atmosphere or water. |
Carnivorous aquaculture | Aquaculture involving species that naturally eat other animals, such as salmon, trout, sea bass, or shrimp. When farmed, these often require protein-rich feed. |
Cold chain | A temperature-controlled supply chain used to keep seafood and other perishable products fresh and safe from harvest through to consumption. |
DCF | Deforestation- and conversion-free |
Direct habitat conversion | The physical change or removal of natural habitats for production purposes, such as converting mangroves, wetlands, or coastal areas into aquaculture ponds. |
Distant-water fishing fleets | Fishing vessels that operate within the 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zones of other countries or further offshore, in what is known as the high seas. |
Ecosystem benefits | Positive impacts that ecosystems provide to people and nature, such as water filtration, habitat creation, carbon sequestration and nutrient recycling. |
Effluent discharge | The release of wastewater or liquid waste from farms, factories, processing or other facilities into the environment. In aquaculture, this discharge may contain nutrients, chemicals, or organic matter. |
FIP | Fishery Improvement Project |
Farmed aquatic animal welfare | The wellbeing of aquatic animals under human care, focusing on providing proper environmental conditions, nutrition, and health, while minimising pain, stress, and suffering. |
Fisheries | An area, oceanic or inland, where fish or other aquatic organisms are caught. |
Fishmeal and fish oil | Ingredients made from wild-caught and processed fish. They are commonly used in aquafeed as they contain protein and omega-3 fatty acids. |
GSSI | Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative |
Hatcheries | Facilities where aquatic animals are bred, hatched, and raised during the early stages of life before being transferred to farms, stocking programmes, or sea cages. |
HHP | Highly hazardous pesticides |
Histamines | Compounds that can form in fish, particularly when not kept properly chilled. High levels of histamines can cause food poisoning. |
Integrated Multi-trophic Aquaculture | A farming system that cultivates multiple species, such as fish, bivalves, and seaweed, in the same location. Waste from one species provides nutrients to other species. |
Land and ecosystem conversion | The change of natural or semi-natural land into production systems, such as aquaculture ponds, feed crop farms, or seafood infrastructure. |
Macroalgae | Commonly referred to as seaweed. |
Marine food webs | The feeding relationships among marine organisms, showing how energy and nutrients move from smaller organisms, such as plankton, to larger predators. |
Marine litter | Human-made waste found in marine ecosystems or coastal environments. This can include fishing gear, plastics, packaging, and other discarded materials. |
Microbial biomass | The mass of organisms such as bacteria, yeasts, fungi, or microalgae that can be used as a source of protein. |
MPA | Marine protected area |
MSC | Marine Stewardship Council |
Non-feedstock inputs | The wide range of materials and infrastructure utilised prior to fish growth. Relating to traceability within the Seafood Index, this is primarily focused on the eggs of farmed species within an aquaculture system. |
Novel feed ingredients | New or less commonly used ingredients that can be added to feed formulations to reduce other commonly used ingredients, such as fishmeal and fish oil. This includes algae oil, microbial proteins, or plant-based alternatives. |
Nutrient loading | The addition of nutrients, often nitrogen and phosphorus, to water bodies. Excessive nutrient loading can contribute to algal blooms and water quality problems. |
Overfishing | The capture of fish faster than populations can reproduce and recover, leading to reduced fish stocks and marine ecosystem degradation. |
Point of origin | The location where fish, seafood, aquafeed or related goods originate or start their journey, such as a vessel or farm. Within the Seafood Index, traceability only to the country or fishery level is not considered sufficient to establish the true point of origin. |
Prophylactic antibiotics | Use of antibiotics as a preventative measure, rather than treatment, for diseases, infection, or unwanted outcomes. |
Protein diversification | The use of a wider range of protein sources, including alternative proteins, to reduce dependence on conventional ingredients and products. |
Recirculating aquaculture system | A land-based aquaculture system in which water is treated and reused within the production system through continuous filtration and recirculation processes. |
Resource-intensive aquaculture | Aquaculture that requires high levels of inputs such as feed, water, energy, land or chemicals, relative to the amount of seafood produced. |
Salmonids | A family of fish that includes salmon, trout, and char. These species are commonly farmed commercially in aquaculture systems. |
Seafood traceability | The ability to track where seafood products come from and how they move through the supply chain, from harvest or farm to final sale, including information on farm and vessel-level origin, species, and production method. |
Single-cell proteins | Proteins produced from microorganisms such as bacteria, yeast, fungi, or microalgae. These can be used as alternative feed ingredients in aquafeed. |
Solid waste | Non-liquid waste materials produced by human activities. In seafood production this may include packaging, sludge, shells, or processing waste. |
Stocking density | The number or weight of farmed animals kept within a given area or volume of water. High stocking density can affect animal welfare, water quality, and disease risk. |
Unfed aquaculture | Aquaculture systems where farmed species do not require added feed, such as many bivalves or seaweeds, as they obtain nutrients directly from the surrounding environment. |
Water filtration | The removal of particles, nutrients, or impurities from water. In unfed aquaculture, shellfish can filter particles from water as they feed. |
Water-scarce regions | Areas where available freshwater resources are limited compared with the demand from people, agriculture, and ecosystems. |
Wild-capture (or capture) fisheries | The harvesting of wild aquatic organisms from oceans, rivers, lakes, or other natural water bodies. |