Standards

GDST

Global Dialogue on Seafood Traceability — the international standard that defines what data to record, when, and how, so that traceability can cross organizational and national boundaries.

What GDST Is

GDST is not a database, not a certification, and not a platform. It is a set of data standards — definitions of what information must be captured, when it must be captured, and in what format — so that different software systems used by different supply chain participants can share data without losing meaning.

The insight behind GDST is critical: traceability fails not because the technology is hard, but because different actors use incompatible systems. A Japanese buyer cannot verify a Kodiak vessel's harvest record if the data is locked inside a proprietary platform that the buyer's system can't read.

GDST solves this through interoperability — standardized data exchange using GS1 identifiers and EPCIS events. Any GDST-compliant system can share records with any other GDST-compliant system, regardless of vendor.

What GDST Is Not

A certification program

→ A set of data standards you implement

A single database or platform

→ An interoperability layer between systems

Mandatory under US law

→ Voluntary — but required for premium market access

Expensive to implement

→ Platforms like Wholechain implement it for SMBs in hours

Critical Tracking Events

GDST defines six Critical Tracking Events (CTEs) — the moments where data must be captured to establish a complete chain of custody. Missing any one breaks the chain.

Event	Trigger	Recorded By	CTE Type
Fishing Event	Fish is caught	Vessel / captain	Harvest
Offload Event	Fish moves from vessel to dock	First receiver	Custody Transfer
Processing Event	Product form changes	Processor	Transformation
Packing Event	Product enters consumer packaging	Packer	Aggregation
Shipping Event	Product leaves a facility	Shipper	Transport
Receiving Event	Product arrives at a facility	Receiver	Custody Transfer

Key Data Elements

GDST specifies which data fields must be captured at each CTE. These are the Key Data Elements (KDEs) — the minimum set required for full chain-of-custody traceability.

Harvest Data

✓Vessel name and IMO/MMSI number
✓Fishing area (FAO area or RFMO zone)
✓Gear type
✓Catch date range
✓Species (scientific name)
✓Weight at point of first sale

Chain of Custody

✓Lot / batch identifier
✓First receiver name and location
✓Certificate of origin
✓EPCIS event timestamps
✓Each custody transfer record
✓Wild capture vs. aquaculture flag

Processing

✓Input lot codes and quantities
✓Output lot codes
✓Transformation date and location
✓HACCP facility ID
✓Processor name and registration
✓Product form transformation (e.g., whole → fillet)

GDST and FSMA

The FDA's Food Traceability Final Rule (FSMA Section 204) mandates traceability records for seafood on the Food Traceability List. GDST compliance is not legally required under FSMA — but it satisfies and exceeds FSMA's record-keeping requirements while additionally enabling international market access.

A producer who implements GDST gets FSMA compliance as a subset. A producer who implements only the FSMA minimum may not have the interoperability needed for premium export markets.

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