The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) is an independent non-profit organization which sets a standard for sustainable fishing. Fisheries that wish to demonstrate they are well-managed and sustainable compared to the science-based MSC standard are assessed by a team of experts who are independent of both the fishery and the MSC. Seafood products can display the blue MSC ecolabel only if that seafood can be traced back through the supply chain to a fishery that has been certified against the MSC standard.[3]
The mission of the MSC is to use its ecolabel, for which the MSC receives royalties for licensing it to products, and fishery certification program to contribute to the health of the world's oceans by recognizing and rewarding sustainable fishing practices, influencing the choices people make when buying seafood, and working with partners to transform the seafood market to a sustainable basis.[4] Another organisation, the Aquaculture Stewardship Council, promotes and certifies sustainable aquaculture.
When buyers choose MSC-certified fish, well-managed fisheries are rewarded for sustainable practices. In turn, the growing market for certified sustainable seafood generates a powerful incentive for other fisheries to demonstrate they are fishing sustainably or to improve their performance so that they too can be eligible for MSC certification. In this way, the MSC program helps to harness market forces to incentivise positive environmental change.[5]
A study found that MSC-certified fisheries show improvements that deliver benefits to the marine environment. Benefits included: increased stocks; improved management of stocks; reduced bycatch; expansion of environmentally protected areas; and increased knowledge about ecosystem impacts amongst fishers.[6] [7] A further study published in the scientific journal PLoS One found, following the first comprehensive analysis of global fish stocks targeted by MSC-certified fisheries, that certified stocks are healthy and maintained above levels that ensure continuing sustainability.
The MSC was founded in 1996, inspired by the Grand Banks cod fishery collapse. In 1999 it became independent of its founding partners, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and Unilever.[1] MSC has a staff of around 140 spread across the headquarters in London, regional offices in London, Seattle, Singapore and Sydney, and local offices in Edinburgh, Berlin, The Hague, Paris, Cape Town, Tokyo, Reykjavik, and the Baltic region.[8]
The MSC program is open to all fisheries regardless of size, scale, location and intensity and runs a Developing World Program to ensure equal access to the program.
As of February 2016, there are over 20,000 seafood products available with the MSC ecolabel, sold in around 100 countries around the world. As of May 2016, there are over 280 fisheries that have been independently certified as meeting the MSC's environmental standard for sustainable fishing and over 90 are currently undergoing assessment.[9] Around 3,300 companies operating in 34,500 sites have met the MSC Chain of Custody standard for seafood traceability.[10] The MSC works in partnership with a number of organisations, businesses and funders around the world but is fully independent of all.[2] A study found that MSC-certified fisheries show improvements that deliver benefits to the marine environment. Benefits included: increased stocks; improved management of stocks; reduced bycatch; expansion of environmentally protected areas; and increased knowledge about ecosystem impacts amongst fishers.[6] [7] A further study published in the scientific journal PLoS One found, following the first comprehensive analysis of global fish stocks targeted by MSC-certified fisheries, that certified stocks are healthy and maintained above levels that ensure continuing sustainability.
The MSC was founded in 1996, inspired by the Grand Banks cod fishery collapse. In 1999 it became independent of its founding partners, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and Unilever.[1] MSC has a staff of around 140 spread across the headquarters in London, regional offices in London, Seattle, Singapore and Sydney, and local offices in Edinburgh, Berlin, The Hague, Paris, Cape Town, Tokyo, Reykjavik, and the Baltic region.[8]
The MSC program is open to all fisheries regardless of size, scale, location and intensity and runs a Developing World Program to ensure equal access to the program.
As of February 2016, there are over 20,000 seafood products available with the MSC ecolabel, sold in around 100 countries around the wor
The MSC program is open to all fisheries regardless of size, scale, location and intensity and runs a Developing World Program to ensure equal access to the program.
As of February 2016, there are over 20,000 seafood products available with the MSC ecolabel, sold in around 100 countries around the world. As of May 2016, there are over 280 fisheries that have been independently certified as meeting the MSC's environmental standard for sustainable fishing and over 90 are currently undergoing assessment.[9] Around 3,300 companies operating in 34,500 sites have met the MSC Chain of Custody standard for seafood traceability.[10] The MSC works in partnership with a number of organisations, businesses and funders around the world but is fully independent of all.[2]
The MSC environmental standard for sustainable fishing was developed over two years through a consultative process involving more than 300 expert organizations and individuals around the world. It is consistent with the ‘Guidelines for the Eco-labelling of Fish and Fishery Products from Marine Wild Capture Fisheries’ adopted by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 2005.[11]
Fis
Fisheries that want certification and to use the ecolabel pay US$20,000 to more than $100,000 to an independent, for-profit contractor that assesses the fishery against the MSC standard and determines whether to recommend certification.[12] The assessors are independently accredited to perform MSC assessments by Accreditation Services International (ASI). After certification, fisheries undergo annual audits costing $75,000 per audit and are recertified every five years.[12]
The MSC is governed by a Board of Trustees of up to 15 members. In addition a Technical Advisory Board and a Stakeholder Council advise the Board. The structure of these bodies involves a wide range of stakeholders with different views so that decisions reflect many sectors and interests.[15] It is a
Stakeholders are invited to participate in the process from the outset, and throughout the assessment, stakeholders are given the opportunity to submit information and comment on reports, all of which are made public and available for anyone to see on the MSC website.[14]
The MSC is governed by a Board of Trustees of up to 15 members. In addition a Technical Advisory Board and a Stakeholder Council advise the Board. The structure of these bodies involves a wide range of stakeholders with different views so that decisions reflect many sectors and interests.[15] It is an example of a product-oriented multistakeholder governance group.
The Board sets the strategic direction of the MSC, monitors progress and ensures the MSC meets its objectives. The MSC Technical Advisory Board is made up of 15 experts in the fields of marine science, policy and seafood supply chains: it advises the MSC Board on technical and scientific matters. The MSC Stakeholder Ad
The Board sets the strategic direction of the MSC, monitors progress and ensures the MSC meets its objectives. The MSC Technical Advisory Board is made up of 15 experts in the fields of marine science, policy and seafood supply chains: it advises the MSC Board on technical and scientific matters. The MSC Stakeholder Advisory Council ensures that the opinions of groups with a stake in sustainable fishing and seafood supply are heard by the MSC Board. It comprises up to 17 members who represent a broad range of sectors and geographical areas, including fishing organisations, NGOs, consumer groups, retailers, and others.
Through these bodies, the MSC is continually improving its program, and stakeholders are invited to contribute to its development through regular meetings of the Stakeholder Advisory Council and public consultations.
The MSC manages a second standard called Chain of Custody for traceability. If seafood is to be sold with the MSC ecolabel, every business in the supply chain must be assessed and certified by an independent body against the MSC Chain of Custody standard. This ensures that only seafood from a certified sustainable fishery is sold with the MSC label.[16]
As of March 2019[update], the use of DNA barcoding by the MSC has reduced species mislabelling (sometimes done fraudulently) to less than 1% among covered products, compared to the sector average of roughly 30%.[17]
The MSC is a regis
The MSC is a registered charity [18] and non-profit organisation [19] and depends on various sources of funding. From 1 April 2011 to 31 March 2012, the MSC's total income was £15 million. Total expenditure for the same period was £12 million. The MSC Board recognises it as generally good practice to hold reserves as a protection against any financial difficulties in the future. A reserves target of 6 to 9 months’ cover is considered to be necessary, at least as an aspiration, given the MSC's absence of a subscribing membership and uncertainty, as a market-based program, of its various income streams.[20]