Blockchain-Based Certification in Fisheries: A Survey of Technologies and Methodologies

The integrity of certification processes in the agrifood and fishing industries is essential for combating fraud, ensuring food safety, and meeting rising consumer expectations for transparency and sustainability. Yet, current certification systems remain fragmented, and they are vulnerable to tampering and highly dependent on manual or centralized procedures. This study addresses these gaps by providing a comprehensive survey that systematically classifies blockchain-based certification technologies and methodologies applied to the fisheries sector. The survey examines how the blockchain enhances trust through immutable record-keeping, smart contracts, and decentralized verification mechanisms, ensuring authenticity and accountability across the supply chain. Special attention is given to case studies and implementations that focus on ensuring food safety, verifying sustainability claims, and fostering consumer trust through transparent labeling. Furthermore, the paper identifies technological barriers, such as scalability and interoperability, and puts forward a collection of functional and non-functional requirements for holistic blockchain implementation. By providing a detailed overview of current trends and gaps, this study aims to guide researchers, industry stakeholders, and policymakers in adopting and optimizing blockchain technologies for certification. The findings highlight the potential of blockchain to innovate certification systems, easing the way for more resilient, sustainable, and consumer-centric agrifood and fishing industries.