"Guardian": Blockchains can reduce fishing fraud

According to the Blockchain journal, it is only one way that fishing is trying to ensure a more effective identification of the way the fish has gone from hook to plate, but it is increasingly interested because it cannot be modified, and access to data at every stage of the supply chain can have anyone – just scan the product by phone.

"Guardian" emphasizes that blockchain is digital, decentralised and updated in real-time, so it contains valuable information that traditional label does not have. In combination with DNA tests, it can play a role in reducing fraud in the fish and seafood industries.

The paper also notes that technology can be relevant for species conservation, as quoted by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), which shows that more than one third of fish stocks are overfished. Therefore, it can help to verify where and how fish has been caught to ensure that catches have been made in an area where fish populations are sustainable.

A New Zealand antorian fishing company employee told the Guardian that he uses blockchain technology in his profession. "When we catch a fish, just before freezing, we remove her head, tail and fins and then attach a digital tag to her body. Blockchain supports their traceability" – he explained.

However, Petter Olsen, a FAO expert, pointed out that although the complexity of the fish and seafood supply chain is suitable for using this technology in its course, it is neither measurable nor commercially viable throughout the sector.

"Blockchain works for high value products, for guarantee of origin, which the consumer will pay a little more, in my opinion, QR codes or bar codes we will see on better quality products" - explained adding that the potential of blockschains is exaggerated. "The information code is invariable, so any changes will always be detectable, but it's only a database," he noted.

Source: PAP