A review of the MSC Chain of Custody Standard is underway to make sure our requirements and certification scheme reflect industry best practice, remain accessible and relevant to the seafood industry, and can be efficiently and effectively applied.
Certification to the MSC Chain of Custody Standard assures consumers that seafood sold with the blue MSC ecolabel comes from fisheries that are MSC certified as sustainable. It also provides assurance that products sold with the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) label have come from ASC certified farms.
To achieve certification to this Standard, every company in the supply chain that handles seafood products from a certified fishery or farm must demonstrate to independent auditors that certified products are easily identifiable, separated from non-certified products, and can be traced back to another business with Chain of Custody Certification.
Consultation on proposed revisions
Share your feedback on the proposed revisions to the MSC Chain of Custody Standard and associated Certification Requirements through our public consultation survey.
The survey is open until 30 May 2026.
Why are we reviewing our Standard?
There have been significant changes within our program and across wider seafood industry since our Chain of Custody Standard was last reviewed in 2019.
These changes include the publication of the MSC Fisheries Standard (v3.1) and subsequent Fisheries Program Revisions, and introduction of the MSC Labour Eligibility Requirements, and the ASC Chain of Custody module.
We have seen best practices evolve, advancements in digital technology and changes to regulatory requirements. We will also consider learnings from the Covid-19 pandemic and how supply chain companies and the MSC responded to this challenge.
These changes all provide opportunities to build on and improve our Chain of Custody program.
Review objectives
The review will focus on the three versions of the MSC Chain of Custody Standard (Default, Group and Customer Facing Organisations), and the Chain of Custody Certification Requirements.
The MSC will also review the ASC Chain of Custody module requirements with the aim of improving alignment with the MSC Chain of Custody program where appropriate.
Through the review we aim to:
- Address challenges that have arisen from the implementation of the current Chain of Custody Standard to enhance credibility and legitimacy of our program.
- Empower Chain of Custody certificate holders to demonstrate compliance with evolving traceability regulations.
- Improve the accessibility of our Standard by removing unnecessary complexity in language, and clarifying requirements for different supply chain actors.
- Explore collaboration with other standard setters to satisfy market demand for scope and eligibility extension and improved efficiency.
Key areas of revision
To achieve our objectives, the review focuses on the following key areas:
- Review of all three versions of the Standard: introducing revisions where the intent of our requirements is unclear or is not being met.
- Review of the Chain of Custody Certification Requirements: to reflect any changes introduced to the Standard, and to enhance program credibility.
- Accessibility review: addressing reported usability challenges while maintaining the integrity of the program. This includes clarifying which supply chain actors require certification.
- ASC Chain of Custody module alignment: identifying where ASC module requirements could be incorporated into the Standard and Certification Requirements.
- Remote auditing: Developing a recommendation for the role of remote auditing within the Chain of Custody program, based on analysis of the use of remote audits during the COVID-19 pandemic, and reviewing best practice.
- Strengthening traceability: defining the traceability information (key data elements) that certificate holders should have to demonstrate traceability throughout the supply chain; providing guidance on the data needed to help first buyers more easily verify that the fish received is certified; and introducing an annual internal traceback exercise for certificate holders.
Take part in the review
Stakeholders are at the heart of our review and help identify issues, develop solutions and test the possible impacts of any proposed changes.
A public consultation on the proposed revisions to the Chain of Custody Standard is open until 30 May 2026.
Timeline
The Chain of Custody Standard Review began in September 2023 and is expected to be completed in 2027.
Key milestones
- September 2023 - Terms of Reference published
- Late 2023 - Research phase begins and targeted consultations held
- 2024/25 - Policy development and testing through targeted consultation and pilots
- Early 2026 – Mock audits
- March 2026 - Public consultation on the draft revised Standard opens
- Early 2027 – Revised Standard and other program documents published
- Late 2027 - Revised Standard in effect 6 months after publication
Any revised program documents will be effective six months after they have been released. Existing certificate holders will be required to transition to the updated requirements once they are in effect.
ASC Chain of Custody Module Review
The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) is carrying out a separate review of their Chain of Custody Module, which applies to all ASC Chain of Custody certificate holders.
The ASC's 60-day public consultation on proposed revisions to their Chain of Custody Module is open until 2 May 2026
Find out more about the ASC Chain of Custody module review and consultation.
Contact us
If you have any questions about the review please contact [email protected] or your regional MSC representative.
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