Sustainable Seafood - Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)

Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)

The Marine Stewardship Council is a global non-profit organization looking to conserve the oceans. Their mission is to use a combination of certified fisheries and ecolabeling to make the people aware of how important it is to preserve our oceans. The MSC works with fisheries, scientist, seafood companies, conservation groups and the public to encourage environmental friendly seafood choices. The two main ways the MSC regulates sustainable seafood is by setting standards for certified fisheries and ecolabeling.

The certified fisheries are judged on the three standards the MSC provides. Although the MSC does not certified the fisheries, but are certified by a third party system to remove any bias. The standards were created to decrease overfishing and maintain healthy ecosystems. The three standards are:

• Maintaining Sustainable Fish Stocks

• The fishery may not overexploit any of its resources.

• Environmental Impact

• Each fishery is judged on the amount of environmental impact they contribute to the ocean. The fishery may not use any form of fishing that destroys the structure, productivity, function, or diversity of the ecosystem.

• Effective Management

• Not only does the fishery have to follow the two other MSC standards, but they also have to follow all local, national, and international laws.

Once a fishery has been reviewed and certified, their certification lasts for 5 years. In that 5 years, the fishery will be inspected and held to the environmental standards of the MSC. After the 5 years has passed, the fishery will have to go through the approval process again.

The second way the MSC regulates seafood to the public is by using their ecolabel. The ecolabel on seafood products guarantees the seafood has come from a sustainable source and certified fishery. The ecolabel can be found around the world. The consumer can feel good about buying seafood with a MSC ecolabel.

Before a seafood product can carry the MSC eco-label, the fishery must acquire the MSC Fisheries Certification. Additionally, all companies in the supply chain that take ownership of the product including distributors, wholesalers, manufacturers, pack houses, traders, retailers, catering organizations and restaurants must acquire the MSC Chain of Custody Certification.

Every company audited must demonstrate that it has effective traceability systems in place to ensure that only seafood from a certified fishery carries the MSC logo. This can prevent illegally caught fish entering the supply chain, and the mislabeling of products and species substitution.