Previous policy changes
Previous fisheries policy developments:
- Low trophic level fisheries
- Fisheries surveillance frequency
- Informal and traditional management approaches in assessments against MSC management performance indicators
- Traceability within a fishery
- Full-assessment templates
Previous Chain of Custody policy developments:
Previous overarching policy developments:
- Revision to requirements for auditor personnel competencies
- Revision to requirements on suspension and withdrawal of certificates
- Revision of all MSC scheme documents
Revision to requirements for low trophic level fisheries
The MSC Technical Advisory Board has approved TAB directive 036 that clarifies MSC’s expectations on the additional precaution that should be applied by fisheries in managing low trophic level (LTL) species, as scored in the Reference Points PI 1.1.2. The main focus of this new direction is on the stock biomass levels that should be maintained in the management of LTL species in order to allow for their critical roles in the wider ecosystem.
New requirements summary:
- Certifiers will need to use reference points appropriate for low trophic level, short lifespan fish like sardines rather than those appropriate for high trophic level, long lived species like cod.
- The new requirements provide more security when fishing low trophic level fish. Reference points are set that minimize the effect on other species and the ecosystem.
- In order to score a conditional pass (60-79), for the reference point performance indicator (PI 1.1.2), the fishery must have adopted reference points that maintain the stock level higher than the common Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) level and at least 40% of the level where no fishing occurs.
- To score an unconditional pass (80+), for the reference point performance indicator, low trophic level fish stocks must be maintained at a default 75% of the level where no fishing occurs, or at other levels that are shown not to have a significant impact on other species.
- The allowable impacts are limited in two ways: firstly, at the ecosystem level, no more than 15% of the other fish species or groups may be impacted by more than 40%; secondly, no other individual species may be reduced by more than 70% from the level where no fishing occurs.
The requirements specified in this Directive are effective from 15 August 2011 for fisheries that have not yet entered assessment, or are in assessment but have not yet held their site visit, by 15 August 2011.
Surveillance audit frequency for certified fisheries
The MSC Technical Advisory Board (TAB) approved amendments to the MSC certification requirements that allow strongly performing fisheries to qualify to altered surveillance levels. The three surveillance levels approved are:
- Normal surveillance: annual on-site audits
- Remote surveillance: annual audits alternating on-site and off-site audits (non-consecutive off-site audits)
- Reduced surveillance: On-site surveillance audits on the 2nd and 4th anniversaries of certification. On the 1st and 3rd anniversaries of certification, the certifier should request new information from stakeholders and complete a desktop review of that information. If information suggests the need for an audit, then an off-site or on-site surveillance audit will be commissioned.
This consideration aims to reward strongly performing fisheries with reduced costs of surveillance.
Appropriate and robust criteria for determining frequency of surveillance were also developed to ensure rigour in the process by reducing surveillance only in those situations where the performance of the fishery against the standard is strong. The criteria developed include the overall Principle level scores number and type of conditions raised.
Certifiers will begin using new requirements as of 14 November 2011.
Informal and traditional management approaches in assessments against MSC management performance indicators
The MSC Technical Advisory Board has approved the guidance developed to ensure that fishery assessments appropriately consider the presence of informal, undocumented and traditional fishery management mechanisms that achieve the intent of Principle 3 Performance Indicators.
The new guidance and requirements have been incorporated into the MSC certification requirements and guidance to the MSC certification requirements.
Summary of changes to certification requirements:
- The reference to informal decision making in the PI 3.2.2 60 scoring guidepost has been changed to some decision making so that fisheries with informal or traditional management approaches are not penalised.
- Additional clarification has been provided for the terms “implicit” and “explicit” in the context of Principle 3 Performance Indicators.
Changes to guidance to certification requirements:
- Additional guidance for Principle 3 management performance indicators and for PIs 1.2.1 and 1.2.2 for CBs to appropriately consider informal or traditional management approaches
Certifiers will begin using new requirements as of 14 November 2011.
Traceability within a fishery
New requirements were approved by the MSC Technical Advisory Board and incorporated in the MSC certification requirements. The revised requirements clarify the requirements that certifiers must meet when determining whether fish caught in a certified fishery are eligible to enter further chains of custody.
This will result in better and consistent assessments that will increase confidence of stakeholders that fish entering the supply chain are really from certified fisheries and will provide sufficient reassurance that fish is eligible to carry the MSC ecolabel.
In summary, the approved changes to the MSC certification requirements are as follows:
- Introduction of the concept of assessing the segregation practices as well as traceability
- List of risk factors for certifiers to consider when determining whether fish is eligible to enter the supply chain and carry the ecolabel
- Changing ‘point of landing’ to ‘point of change of ownership’ to indicate where CoC requirements shall start
- Deletion of the list of questions certifiers should answer to determine whether fish is eligible to carry the MSC ecolabel
- Certifiers must clearly identify who can use the fishery certificate to sell certified fish in the supply chain.
Certifiers will begin using new requirements as of 14 November 2011.
Full-assessment template
The MSC Technical Advisory Board has approved amendments to the certification requirements that mandates certifiers to use the MSC Full Assessment Reporting Template when submitting fishery assessment reports. It will be used by certifiers for submitting the following reports:
- Preliminary draft report
- Peer review draft report
- Public comment draft report
- Final report
- Public certification report
The purpose of this template is to standardise the reports and improve consistency across fishery assessments. Further, the use of the the reporting template should help ensure the MSC scheme requirements and their intentions are met.
Certifiers will begin using new requirements as of 14 November 2011.
Previous Chain of Custody policy developments:
CoC standard revision
The MSC Technical Advisory Board (TAB) approved the Chain of Custody standard version 3 that aims to make the standard locally applicable but consistent globally. The new standard aims to be pragmatic and implementable by a broad range of businesses while still respecting the uniqueness of each business in the seafood industry.
The TAB also approved requirements set out on Annex BD of the MSC certification requirements for certificate holders and applicants for MSC Chain of Custody certification and are additional to the MSC Chain of Custody standard version 3.
The new CoC Standard will affect certifiers, applicants and certificate holders involved in CoC from the 14 November 2011. Applicants will be assessed against the new standard from the 14 of November 2011 onwards, whereas existing certificate holders have until the 14 of November 2012 to become compliant with the new standard.
Main changes:
- Using Principles and Criteria instead of sections.
- New structure is based on MSC Scheme Document Review style guide to bring in line with new the structure of the certification requirements (CR).
- Inclusion of MSC vocabulary
- Requirements are applicable to all organisations included in standard (additional requirements relevant for some organisations or circumstances are only included in the certification requirements, Annex BD. Annex BD must always be attached to the Standard when it is distributed.
CoC Group Certification
Annex BB and BC of the MSC Certification Requirements, the requirements for groups, have been updated based on the feedback from the July 2011 TAB meeting.
The principle of group certification is to shift responsibility from
the certifiers to the group entity. The group taking more responsibility
in ensuring the sites conform with MSC requirements. The intention of
the changes are to maintain this principle while allowing more
flexibility in how it is achieved.
Main changes to the MSC group requirements
- The agreement between the group entity and their sites can now be demonstrated in different ways. This takes into account groups which are fully owned by the group entity or where the group entity has contracts with the sites requiring them to comply with its decisions.
- Internal audits are still required but methods other than on-site audits are permitted. The requirements for the internal audit are the same regardless of the method.
- A new ‘very low risk’ sample table is included and the scoring relating to this. For the lowest risk groups the minimum number of sites the certifier has to visit is therefore less.
- Reference has been made to certifiers having the option to
apply to MSC for a variation to decrease the number of sites to audit.
The certifier will need to demonstrate that the group is of lower risk
than the allocated sample plan and that group entity has demonstrated
high performance.
Previous overarching policy developments
Revision to requirements for auditor personnel competencies
The MSC Technical Advisory Board (TAB) approved the addition of a requirement for certifier audit personnel (i.e. lead auditors, auditors and team leaders) to undertake training on annual updates to the MSC certification requirements.
This new requirement hopes to:
- Heighten certifier awareness of MSC training and ensures audit personnel are properly trained
- Ensure consistent robust certification assessments
- Ensure the MSC program meets best industry practices
These changes are part of the implementation of the wider certifier Learning and Development Strategy. The focus of attention is now on the development of competency criteria and verification mechanisms for audit personnel.
Certifiers will begin using new requirements as of 14 November 2011.
Revision to requirements on suspension and withdrawal of certificates.
The procedure certifiers have to follow to suspend and withdraw MSC certificates (fishery and chain of custody) was reviewed and new requirements incorporated in the MSC certification requirements.
A summary of the new requirements is as follows:
- All certificate withdrawals must be preceded by suspension. Withdrawal means the certifier no longer has a contract with the certificate holder.
- New requirements do not include 90 day notice period prior to suspension of a fishery certificate
- Certificates can be withdrawn if, during the course of the certificate suspension, a corrective action plan has not been carried out or if it is inadequate to address the reason for suspension.
- CoC certificate holders that have had certificates withdrawn twice for selling non-certified fish as certified cannot reapply within a 24 month period.
Certifiers will begin using new requirements as of 14 November 2011.
Revision of all MSC scheme documents
The number of MSC scheme documents has steadily
increased over the last few years leading to over 50 separate documents
which have to be referred to during the fishery assessment and chain of
custody audit processes.
The Scheme Document Review project has
re-formatted and re-written MSC scheme documents to increase clarity;
improve auditability and transparency; and, enhance audit efficiency and
effectiveness. The MSC Technical Advisory Board (TAB) approved in July the new MSC certification requirements and the guidance to the MSC certification requirements.
No
substantive modification of the current scheme requirements contained
within the existing documents was allowed. However, some changes were
made if:
-
There were differently stated requirements for similar elements.
-
Definitions were used inconsistently (e.g. there were 7 different “should” definitions).
-
The same element was referred to in different contexts that could imply different meanings.
Certifiers will begin using new requirements as of 14 November 2011.
