Perceptions of Organic Seafood Companies on Organic Equivalence Arrangements: A Focus on the EU Equivalency Agreement

This study examines the production and certification status of organic seafood products and analyzes firms’ perceptions of international equivalence agreements, with a focus on Korea–EU fisheries trade. The results show that the industry is highly concentrated in seaweed products, particularly laver, and is dominated by small and medium-sized enterprises. Organic certification is recognized as a strategic tool for quality improvement and market expansion, while high certification costs and administrative complexity remain major constraints. Exports are concentrated in seasoned laver and limited to a few markets, and no exports to the EU were observed due to institutional barriers. Firms show relatively high awareness of equivalence agreements and expect potential export expansion if such agreements are extended. Given the lack of official statistics on organic processed seafood, this study indirectly estimates export effects based on overall fisheries trade data. The findings suggest potential for export expansion, alongside key challenges such as certification costs, raw material supply, and regulatory compliance.