Title: Catch Certificate Standards for Tuna exports from PNG to the US Markets.

The tuna industry in Papua New Guinea (PNG) is an important industry for the nation. The tuna products are mainly exported to the European Union (EU). PNG’s export standards are based on EU import protocols and valid catch certificates are required. The US market is one of the largest consumer markets globally with a large population and high household spending. PNG’s tuna exporters do not have access to the US market. This is mainly due to lack of standards to provide credible catch certificates for the market. Access to the US market could increase value and diversify risk for the PNG tuna industry. Unfortunately, US authorities have no simple guidelines on standards to issue an authentic catch certificate. Icelandic fishing companies have on other hand access to the US markets via valid catch certificates. In this research the catch certificate standards from Iceland will be used as role model to compare with PNG’s standards for seafood traceability and data collection methods. The goal is to determine the required standards of the catch certification and traceability systems to be comparable to the US seafood import requirements. The findings of this study reveal that the procedures of producing catch certificates for the US and the EU to be similar, except that US authorities require additional information pertaining to the catch, landing, processing, and exporting records. This research answers the question regarding specific standards that PNG can adopt to enhance its national catch certification and traceability systems. This can be achieved through reviewing the current regulatory measures in PNG and enhancing the catch certification procedures through a review of data collection and traceability approaches.