Seafood sourcing FAQs: organic claims, sustainability claims and RFQ specifications
Short answer: treat organic as a certified legal claim that must cover the exact species, method and site and be accepted in your destination market; treat every other sustainability claim as a separate attribute with its own evidence; and put both, with the full product specification, in writing in your RFQ.
Prepared by the FishMatch Group editorial team · updated 24 October 2026 · general orientation, not legal advice. FishMatch Group does not certify products or guarantee compliance.
Organic claims
Organic is a legal claim set by law in each market, not a description a supplier can choose.
When can farmed fish or shrimp be sold as organic?
Only when a current organic certificate, issued under the organic rules that apply, covers the exact species, production method and site — and, where relevant, the processing and packing steps. Words such as natural, clean or eco-friendly do not make a product organic. If the scope cannot be confirmed, describe the product's other attributes and leave out the organic label.
Which documents should I see before accepting an organic claim?
A copy of the current certificate with the certifier, certificate number, validity dates and scope; a lot-level transaction or shipment document from the producer or certifier; the producer's entry in the national organic register where the country keeps one; and the import document the destination requires (for the European Union, an electronic certificate of inspection in TRACES). Until these are reviewed, the claim is supplier-declared and unverified.
Is an organic certificate from one country valid in another?
Not automatically. Brazil, for example, does not automatically recognise products certified under foreign standards such as NOP, EU or JAS. The European Union requires a control body or authority recognised by the European Commission for organic imports. The USDA currently has no organic standards for aquatic animals, so fish certified under another government's organic rules may be sold as organic in the US but may not refer to USDA certification or use the USDA seal. Confirm each market with its importing authority.
Sustainability claims
Sustainability claims are attributes. Each one needs its own evidence, and none of them is organic.
Is a responsible-farming certification the same as organic?
No. Aquaculture sustainability or responsible-farming schemes, such as ASC or BAP, are separate from organic certification and have their own standards. Ask for the current certificate, the scheme name, its scope and the certified site, and check it with the scheme rather than relying on a logo.
How should I treat claims like antibiotic-free, low-density or regenerative?
As specific claims that need specific evidence. For antibiotic-free or chemical-free, ask for treatment records and laboratory results, with the period they cover. For low density, ask for the stated stocking density, the system and any standard used. For regenerative or agroecological, ask which practices are used and whether a named third-party standard applies. Never relabel these attributes as organic.
Can FishMatch confirm that a product is organic or sustainable?
No. FishMatch collects the documents suppliers provide and points out gaps against your brief, but that is not an audit, inspection or certification, and FishMatch does not guarantee compliance. Confirm certificates with the issuing certifier, scheme or authority and set your own acceptance checks.
RFQ specifications
A precise written specification is what makes offers comparable.
What should a seafood RFQ specify?
The species by common and scientific name; farmed or wild; product form; size or count grade and its unit; processing, glazing and net-weight basis; packaging; annual or seasonal volume and delivery frequency; destination country, port and delivery terms; cold-chain temperature; the documents your market and customer need; and any claim or certification you require.
How do I write a claim requirement into an RFQ?
Write the exact claim wording you need, the scheme or law it must meet, and which steps it must cover — farm, processing and packing. Ask for the certificate, its scope and its validity dates with the offer, and state that the evidence must still be valid when the goods ship. Offers without that evidence are compared as unverified.
Who is responsible for the destination market's rules?
The importer is responsible for the destination market's rules, and the producer or exporter for the rules on producing and exporting the product. Requirements vary by species, product and country, and listed species such as sturgeon caviar also need CITES permits. FishMatch is not the importer, exporter or seller, so confirm the requirements with the relevant authorities before you commit.
Is there a minimum size for a managed sourcing request?
Sending a brief is free for buyers. Managed seafood sourcing is for annual or seasonal programmes of USD 250,000 or more. Smaller requests are still recorded, and we point you to free guides and tools.
Have a specification ready?
Send one seafood buyer brief with the species, product form, volume, destination and the claims you need. It is free for buyers; contact with suppliers stays mediated by our team, and managed sourcing is for annual or seasonal programmes of USD 250,000 or more.
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