The Marine Stewardship Council

State of Fisheries Resource 47% of stocks for which information is available are fully fished, 15% are over-exploited, 10% are depleted or slowly recovering. The number of underexploited and moderately exploited fish stocks are on the decline Number of overexploited, and depleted stocks on the increase Increasing concern at impact of fisheries on ecosystem structure and function Better management of fisheries resources can improve the situation Source FAO

Why the MSC? –There is global concern at the state of fisheries resources –Customers and retailers are willing to play a role in promoting sustainable fishing –Many buyers of fish are also interested in identifying with well-managed fisheries by their purchase decisions –Ecolabelling is a tool that allows the customer to play a role in conserving natural resources –Ecolabelling gaining increasing importance in environmental resource management

What is the MSC? A non-profit, non-governmental organisation Created to harness market forces as an incentive for sustainable fishing A standard setting, accreditation body Has a label which can be used on product from fisheries certified as being sustainable Has a Standard for sustainable fisheries (Principles and Criteria) based on the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries

MSC Standard Three Main Principles Effective Management The sustainability of the stock Ecosystem Impact

How the MSC works Assessment against the MSC Standard on a voluntary basis Assessment carried out by third party, independent certifiers Fish from successfully certified fisheries can be marketed with MSC logo

Benefits of Certification Improved management of resource Recognition of management efforts Potential for premium prices Improved supplier status New markets for products