A Systems Approach to Fisheries Certification and Ecolabelling for Nigerian Export Markets

This research developed a systems approach to fisheries certification and ecolabelling applicable to Nigerian fisheries targeting export markets, addressing the critical absence of a functional certification pathway that accounts for Nigeria's distinctive institutional, ecological, and social fisheries conditions. International ecolabelling schemes such as the Marine Stewardship Council have been criticised for embedding governance standards that effectively exclude artisanal fisheries in developing countries from certification, creating market access inequities. The study applied systems thinking methodology, combining rich picture analysis, causal loop diagramming, and stakeholder co-design workshops, to map the institutional and operational barriers to certification in three Nigerian fisheries: the artisanal marine bonga fish fishery, the Kainji Lake inland tilapia fishery, and the catfish aquaculture export sector. Over 120 stakeholders participated in design workshops held across Lagos, Niger, and Abuja. A prototype alternative certification framework was developed and evaluated against existing MSC and Aquaculture Stewardship Council standards. Results identified seven systemic barriers, including weak fisheries data infrastructure, absence of chain of custody mechanisms, inadequate capacity within certification bodies operating in Nigeria, and misalignment of certification cost structures with artisanal sector income levels. The prototype framework incorporated tiered certification entry points, simplified chain of custody documentation, and group certification mechanisms for artisanal fisheries cooperatives. Stakeholder evaluation confirmed high acceptability of the prototype framework across fisher, processor, and government actor groups. The research delivers an original certification design contribution to the global literature and recommends piloting of the framework through a government-facilitated national fisheries certification initiative. Keywords: fisheries certification, ecolabelling, systems approach, Nigerian export fisheries, artisanal fisheries