Raw Material Certification under BIM's RSS
BIM’s Responsibly Sourced Seafood (RSS) Standard is a product certification system assuring that catches have been fished responsibly, are of the highest quality and are traceable. Qualifying vessels and onshore operators can provide a copy of their certificate to indicate the product's compliance with the Standard.
The standard also addresses target requirements of Certified Raw Material Sourcing and Sustainability Initiatives as required by Bord Bia's Origin Green, the national food and drink Sustainability Charter.
BIM's Responsibly Sourced Seafood Standard comprises two integrated elements:
- Fishing Vessel Standard
- Onshore Handling & Quality Standard (For intermediaries such as co-operatives and processors, etc... through the supply chain)
Further Information
- Get an Overview of the scheme rules in the RSS Standard (pdf 1,303Kb)
- Download full requirements for BIM's Responsibly Sourced Seafood Standard (pdf 2,815Kb)
- Depending on your fisheries and operations, there may be additional records to keep updated. Download the list of Record and Documents (pdf 352Kb)
The BIM team will guide you through the process of achieving Responsibly Sourced Seafood Standard certification and give advice on support available through the Sustainable Fisheries Scheme (Part C1).
We can also help specifically with fish handling best practices in order to assure that your products are of the highest quality. Visit our Fish Handling and Quality Guides page.
Fishery Improvement Projects (FIPs)
Fishery Improvement Projects support the development of a plan to improve a fishery over a given time period. The plan can include fishery, vessel, onshore and supply chain based actions. The aim of a FIP is to improve sustainability within a fishery and progress to certification under the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC).
BIM have linked the participation of registered FIPs to the RSS standard to provide the opportunity for actions and participation in a FIP to be independently third party verified and certified.
Learn more about the Fishery Improvement Projects (FIPs) (pdf 366Kb)
Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification
Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification demonstrates that you support sustainable fishing and will give you greater access to the sustainable foods market of the main retailers.
We provide support to wild fishing operators in applying for or maintaining MSC certification, through:
- Technical review of the principles of the MSC assessment
- Assistance with documentation that demonstrates compliance with MSC requirements
- Assistance with Product Traceability and Audit requirements for the MSC Chain of Custody requirements
Keep up to date with your work in sustainability through our newsletter
'The Right Catch' Newsletter (pdf 1,670Kb)
