A global survey has revealed that the Marine Stewardship Council’s stakeholders believe the depletion of fish stocks and the effects of climate change are the biggest threats to our ocean, alongside pollution.
More than 1,100 stakeholders from a wide range of countries and sectors responded to the MSC’s Global Stakeholder Engagement Survey. The survey aimed to gain insight into perceptions of the MSC across different markets and sectors, and to identify where improvements can be made to support stakeholders and strengthen the program.
Positive feedback and high levels of trust
Feedback was largely positive and demonstrated close alignment between issues stakeholders are most concerned about and the MSC’s organisational priorities of championing ocean health and encouraging sustainable seafood choices through ending overfishing.
Globally, stakeholders reported high levels of trust, with 77 percent believing the MSC can be trusted to contribute to ending overfishing. Encouragingly, this was an eleven percent increase since the previous stakeholder survey in 2021.
Stakeholders cited the MSC’s science-based and globally recognised Standard as a key factor in driving trust, alongside the third-party assessment process. The majority of stakeholders - 80 percent - also reported that they would speak favourably about the MSC.
Ambitious goals and perceived barriers
Trust in the MSC’s ability to achieve its vision and mission was also high. The MSC is committed to ending overfishing and engaging at least a third of global fisheries with its program by 2030 – an ambitious goal that depends on collaboration between many different ocean stakeholders.
The survey results also highlighted perceived barriers to the MSC’s ability to help end overfishing. Over half of respondents considered the cost and complexity of certification to be the most significant challenge. This was consistent across most regions and sectors, especially among fishery and supply chain stakeholders.
While over three quarters of respondents agreed that the MSC sets strict sustainable fishing standards and promotes effective fisheries management, we also saw declining satisfaction with the Fisheries and Chain of Custody Standards since 2021.
While the results did not specify the causes of this decline, the MSC is currently reviewing the Chain of Custody Standard and key aspects of the Fisheries Standard to address challenges and ensure our program is effective and delivers the intended sustainability outcomes.
“We were delighted to see so many of our stakeholders respond to the survey and greatly appreciate their efforts and commitment to the MSC. Understanding how our stakeholders see us, and identifying areas where improvements are needed, is key to strengthening our program and our relationships as we work towards the shared goal of improving the health of our oceans and ending overfishing”. Dr Simon Cripps, Head of NGO Engagement.
Looking forward: improvements and goals for 2030
The next four years will be critical for the MSC as it strives towards meeting its 2030 goals, and the results from the survey play an important role in shaping the program and driving progress.
The survey was carried out between July and September 2025 and was available online and in 10 different languages. The MSC collaborated with GlobeScan, a leading research and advisory consultancy, to ensure independence and rigour in the process.
You can view a summary of the results, which have been compiled into a highlights report by GlobeScan.
