FISHERIES RESEARCH INSTITUTE,MOA,TAIWAN

As aquatic products are increasingly exported to international markets, the development of a traceability system has become a minimum threshold, contributing to increasing the unit price of aquatic products, establishing a brand, and enhancing global competitiveness. This study evaluates the critical factors for success in "building coastal and offshore fisheries traceability system." Experts, including fishermen, members of the fishermen's association, governmental authorities, members of the academic community, and related interested parties (stakeholders), were invited for a two-stage questionnaire. Geometric means were used to remove less important factors, and an Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) questionnaire was used to analyze the critical success factors for building a coastal and offshore fisheries traceability system and determine the weights of various factors. All groups indicated the most important factors to be C1: fish handling and preservation operations meet standards; A1: formulate clear rules; and D1: whole-process freshness control. To promote sales improve the prices for fish and seafood, the government has established operational standards for fish handling and preservation for responsible fisheries, providing fish food security guidelines for the industry to follow. Maintaining detailed records of the production process, including the fishing grounds and the fishing and unloading time, allows for the circulation industry to easily monitor and manage the seafood supply chain, improving the competitiveness of fishing and reducing food security incidents. The critical factors that contribute to building a feasible and specific traceability system for fisheries can serve as a reference for industry management, protecting consumers' rights and health, and increasing the value chain income of fishermen and the overall industry to meet future trends in international marine fishing and fishery products.