Fisheries

The MSC promotes equal access to its certification programme irrespective of the size, scale, type location or intensity of the fishery. The MSC also recognises the need to observe and respect the long term interests of people dependent on fishing for food and livelihood. 

The MSC’s environmental standard for sustainable fishing, the Principles and Criteria for Sustainable Fishing, is based on the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries. The MSC Standard is constantly reviewed by an independent group of fisheries experts (Technical Advisory Board) from around the world. Under its voluntary scheme, fisheries around the world can apply to be independently assessed against this standard. This assessment is not undertaken by the MSC but by independent certification bodies that have been independently accredited by Accreditation Services International (ASI) to perform MSC assessments. This ensures that evaluations are unbiased, credible and open to transparent stakeholder involvement. Companies judged by the MSC to be competent to assess fisheries to its standard undertake a rigorous assessment of fisheries wishing to achieve certification to the MSC Standard. If a fishery meets the MSC Standard, it is then certified. Once certified, companies wishing to use the MSC products undergo a Chain of Custody certification that guarantees traceability of MSC-labelled seafood, ensuring that it has been separated from non-certified product at every stage of the production from the boat to the plate. Those companies then gain the right to use the MSC logo on their products.