MSC Annual Report

Download the Annual report 2011/2012 (PDF, 6 MB)

Five years of extraordinary support and growth

March 2012 marked the end of the first MSC strategic plan, launched in 2007 when there were just 22 certified fisheries in the program, 400 companies trading in MSC certified seafood and fewer than 500 labelled products available in the global market place.

By April 2012 those same indicators stood at 147 fisheries, more than 2,000 seafood businesses certified and nearly 15,000 products available across 84 countries. The momentum and growing success of the program, through the leadership of our partners, is reflected in this latest annual report.

Monitoring environmental impact

The evidence base to support the MSC theory of change is presented in a new section of the annual report highlighting the environmental impact of the program. We are developing a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation programme and will publish our findings every year.

"Credible, third party certification and labelling is  providing both the mechanism to demonstrate existing good fisheries management practices and, critically, the market incentives and ‘demand pull’ to encourage other fisheries to improve the way they fish the oceans."

Rupert Howes,
MSC Chief Executive

Increased commitment

This year there has been an impressive increase in the number of retailers, suppliers and foodservice outlets demonstrating their commitment to sustainable fishing.

Most notable perhaps in the foodservice sector is the announcement that McDonald's Europe will source its Filet-O-Fish, sold across 40 countries, entirely from MSC certified fisheries.

Over the last 12 months, the volume of MSC labelled products on retailers’ shelves increased by 62 per cent, bringing the number of products on sale across 84 countries to 14,764 by 31 March.

Also in the report …

The year's stand out moments include the certification of the first tropical shrimp fishery – the Suriname Atlantic seabob shrimp fishery; the first Chinese fishery, the Zhangzidao scallop fishery to enter full assessment; and MSC certification for the eastern Baltic cod fishery, the Norwegian Arctic cod and haddock fisheries, and the PNA western and central Pacific free school purse seine skipjack tuna fishery.

And first prize for showing the reach of the MSC program must go to the wonderful image of Dutch astronaut Andre Kuipers pointing to a floating can of MSC certified and labelled wild Alaskan salmon as he orbits the earth in the International Space Station.

The Annual Report covers MSC's activities for the financial year 2011-2012.

Photo of Rupert Howes © www.ffpeters.de