Access for all fisheries
"The MSC's new approach to assessing data-poor fisheries will help make the ecolabel more accessible for sustainable community fisheries. Fisheries from developing countries provide much of our global food supply, and it is important that they have the same opportunities for certification as larger, more industrial fisheries."
Meredith Lopuch, Deputy Director, WWF Sustainable Seafood Initiative
Visit the WWF Community Fisheries Program website
The MSC is committed to fair and equal access for all fisheries seeking MSC certification. The project is part of the MSC Developing World Fisheries Program.
The first outcome of this project is a new methodology designed to allow fisheries which are data-limited in some areas, but who can demonstrate they meet the MSC standard for sustainable fishing, to get certified. This new methodology is known as the MSC Risk Based Framework or RBF.
The aim is to provide small-scale and data-deficient fisheries with additional tools and guidance to use in the assessment process, while maintaining the scientific rigor that characterizes the MSC program.
The RBF is part of the Fisheries Assessment Methodology and features a risk-assessment approach to help accredited certifiers evaluate the key environmental indicators that are the backbone of the MSC environmental standard for sustainable fishing.
This is likely to enable more small-scale and data-deficient fisheries to participate. The use of the RBF is not limited to developing countries, but is likely to have the greatest uptake among them.
Development
In May 2007, the MSC Technical Advisory Board approved draft methodological guidance, known as “Guidelines for the Assessment of Small Scale and Data-Deficient Fisheries” (GASS/DD), for use in a number of trial fisheries assessments to be conducted by third party certifiers. The aim of the trials was to allow for practical testing, review and evaluation of the guidance methodology to ensure its effectiveness.
Seven pilot fisheries were evaluated using this method in trial assessments. Following this, of extensive consultation with an international panel of leading scientists in the area of risk-based fisheries assessment led to the development of the current version of the MSC Risk-Based Framework (RBF), now an integral part of the Fishery Assessment Methodology.
The RBF methodology allows fisheries lacking extensive quantitative data to be assessed against the MSC standard in a robust way.
“Demand for eco-certified fish and seafood is high all over the world. Certification under the MSC program could open doors to trade for these fisheries and contribute to long-term social, environmental and economic benefits in their communities,” says Oluyemisi Oloruntuyi, MSC Developing World Program Manager who is leading the project.
Next steps
MSC is continuing to work on improving access to our program for small scale and developing country fisheries. In the same way that recognition of data limitations led to the development of the RBF, as obstacles are identified we will look for ways to overcome these, while maintaining the robustness of the MSC standard.
For example, several fisheries involved in the GASS/DD pilot project are involved in developing fishery improvement plans to guide them in making the changes necessary to become certified to the MSC standard.
