GDST & Aquaculture: Shaping the Future of Traceability

As the fastest-growing sector in global seafood production, aquaculture plays a crucial role in meeting the rising demand for seafood while promoting sustainable practices. With advancements in technology and increasing consumer awareness of sustainable food sources, the industry has seen significant expansion. Valued at USD 313 billion in 2022, the global aquaculture market is projected to surpass USD 360.6 billion by 2032 (Seafood Source: 2024). However, with this rapid expansion comes increasing concerns over sustainability, food safety, and supply chain transparency. Governments and industry leaders are prioritizing traceability systems to ensure that farmed seafood meets regulatory and market-driven requirements.

Beyond compliance, traceability is emerging as a valuable investment for seafood businesses, offering improved operational efficiency, stronger risk management, and better market access. A well-implemented traceability system does more than just track seafood from harvest to table- it enhances supply chain transparency, strengthens accountability, and builds consumer trust in an industry often plagued by mislabeling, illegal fishing, resource sustainability and environmental concerns (Planet Tracker: 2021).

Despite its advantages, industry-wide traceability remains difficult to implement due to gaps in supply chain cooperation, inconsistent data standards, and outdated record-keeping practices. Many seafood businesses face challenges in persuading supply chain partners to share necessary data, while tracking seafood at critical points—such as processing, auctions, and transshipment—remains a major hurdle, particularly in developing markets. Additionally, the lack of standardized, interoperable traceability systems makes data integration complex, while reliance on manual paper-based records leaves room for inefficiencies, errors, and fraud (Planet Tracker: 2021).

The Global Dialogue on Seafood Traceability (GDST) was established to address such challenges in seafood supply chains, including mislabeling, data fragmentation and inconsistent traceability standards. As a global, industry driven initiative, GDST established a standardized framework to enhance transparency, interoperability, and accountability across the seafood sector. Developed through a multi-stakeholder dialogue (2017–2020), the GDST standard defines the minimum Key Data Elements (KDEs) required for accurate product documentation and establishes structured data formats to enable seamless global traceability. Alongside its technical framework, GDST provides non-technical guidance to help businesses implement compliance effectively. By adopting and implementing GDST standards, seafood stakeholders can strengthen supply chain integrity, build trust with regulators and consumers, and ensure data consistency across supply chains. These early adopters are better positioned in a global landscape where stringent traceability is rapidly becoming a competitive requirement (GDST.n.d.)

The Importance of GDST in Seafood Traceability

The GDST standard is built upon the foundation of internationally utilized GS1 Standards for traceability, specifically GS1’s EPCIS and Digital Link Standards. These widely adopted standards are used across retail, healthcare, and the food industry, ensuring compatibility with global supply chain requirements. This widely adopted event-based traceability standard ensures that data is recorded at specific points in the supply chain, known as Critical Tracking Events (CTEs). Each CTE requires specific Key Data Elements (KDEs) to document the What, When, Where and How of the products/lot journey (Seafood 2030 Forum: 2024). GDST enables companies to leverage their existing systems without committing to proprietary solutions, ensuring greater efficiency, seamless data exchange, and easier compliance with global trade regulations (GDST).

The rapid growth of aquaculture presents new challenges to seafood traceability, requiring the need for a structured and scalable approach when it comes to ensuring supply chain integrity and responsible sourcing. Factors such as feed sources, antibiotic use, water quality, and farm management practices contribute to the multidimensional challenge that needs to be considered when it comes to implementing traceability within a given supply chain. GDST provides a standardized framework to track farmed seafood from hatchery to harvest, addressing industry-specific complexities and ensuring transparency in farm-to-market supply chains. It enhances transparency by ensuring that seafood products originate from legal production practices, while supporting improved food safety and fraud prevention. By aligning with international trade and regulatory requirements, GDST enables interoperability across systems- helping businesses meet responsible sourcing commitments, maintain data integrity, and protect sensitive business information without compromising traceability.

Although small-scale producers, including SMEs, may encounter difficulties in implementing digital solutions, traceability standards play a crucial role in promoting transparency and accessibility across the industry. Many businesses struggle with financial and technical limitations, making scalability and affordability a pressing concern.