ASMI chose a Responsible Fisheries Management (RFM) model based on the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Code and Guidelines because it meets the highest benchmarks for credible certification.

Assessments are performed directly against the most well known internationally-agreed set of principles for responsible fisheries management; The FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries and The FAO Guidelines for Eco-labelling. Other regions and countries such as Louisiana, Japan and Iceland also use the FAO Code and Guidelines for their certification program, and this model is also under consideration for use in other countries.

This is a robust, common sense, practical and cost-effective approach and allows Alaska fisheries to meet the FAO criteria for credible certification. This program also utilizes certifiers who are accredited to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) by an International Accreditation Board member. The result is a model that is practical, verifiable, transparent and incorporates the criteria and procedures outlined in the FAO Code and Guidelines.