The MSC is committed to strengthening the traceability of certified sustainable seafood throughout the supply chain. This ensures that seafood sold with the blue ecolabel can always be traced back to a certified, environmentally sustainable source.
Several interconnected projects are underway across the MSC Fisheries and Chain of Custody certification programs, as part of the MSC's continual efforts to reinforce supply chain integrity. This includes strengthening the quality, availability and consistency of key traceability data, so that information on the origin of certified seafood can be traced from the certified fishery all the way through the supply chain.
Revisions will also be made to improve alignment with evolving regulatory requirements, and to strengthen the mechanisms that ensure only eligible products enter certified supply chains.
These changes will help ensure that MSC certified businesses and their MSC labelled products remain at the forefront of supply chain assurance, providing ever more robust and efficient mechanisms to mitigate sourcing risks and address traceability issues.
Stakeholders are invited to provide feedback on the traceability revisions being developed through the Chain of Custody Standard Review and Fisheries Program Revisions. Two separate surveys are open now and can be accessed via the relevant sections below.
A longer-term digital traceability project (the Traceability Enhancement Program) is being carried out in parallel, which is investigating how standardised traceability data collection and interoperable data systems can support a more risk-based approach to auditing.
Expand the sections below to find out more about each project and how to share feedback on any proposed changes.
What changes are being proposed?
Requirements have been proposed to strengthen assurance at the start of the supply chain.
This would require the first certified business in the supply chain (the first certificate holder buying directly from the fishery) to demonstrate they can access defined traceability data (key data elements - KDEs) connected to the MSC certified fishery. To demonstrate access to this data, the Chain of Custody certificate holder would need to complete the new KDE self-assessment template annually.
Complementary guidance has also been proposed through the Fisheries Program Revisions to clarify that fisheries should be able to make defined KDEs available to certified supply chain businesses upon request. This guidance will be part of the Fisheries Certification Process, which defines the process assessors should follow when carrying out a fishery assessment.
What are the intended outcomes?
The revisions intend to improve the quality and availability of key traceability data at the start of the supply chain, helping supply chain businesses to verify the origin of certified products more easily.
The proposed revisions also intend to help businesses test and strengthen their traceability systems by ensuring traceability data can be retrieved more quickly when needed.
Which MSC scheme documents does this impact?
MSC Chain of Custody Standard and Fisheries Certification Process.
Which stakeholders does this apply to?
The proposed requirements to demonstrate access to KDEs are relevant for Chain of Custody certificate holders buying directly from an MSC certified fishery (first buyers).
The proposed guidance in the Fisheries Certification Process is relevant for fishery certificate holders.
How to provide feedback:
The requirements to demonstrate access to KDEs are being developed as part of the MSC Chain of Custody Standard Review.
A consultation survey is open until 30 October 2026 to help refine this proposal. The consultation includes a focus on the feasibility of the requirements for first buyers to demonstrate access to fishery-related KDEs, and the feasibility for fisheries to provide such data upon request. It will also assess whether using a KDE self-assessment exercise is a feasible mechanism for demonstrating access to KDEs and fishery certification codes.
Find out more about the Chain of Custody Standard Review and take part in the consultation.
The guidance requirements for fishery certificate holders are being developed through the Fisheries Program Revisions. A public consultation on all proposed revisions to the fisheries certification scheme documents will be open between 8 October and 8 December 2026.
What changes are being proposed?
Revisions have been proposed to require the MSC Fishery Certificate code (which identifies the certified fishery that a product came from) to be maintained throughout the supply chain. This would require all Chain of Custody certificate holders to include the MSC Fishery Certificate code in the product records or documentation accompanying each sale, which are passed on to the next buyer.
What are the intended outcomes?
The proposal would ensure that all certified supply chain businesses have access to the MSC Fishery Certificate code. This strengthens the ability to trace a product back to the MSC certified fishery of origin, helping businesses mitigate reputational risks.
Which MSC scheme document could this impact?
MSC Chain of Custody Standard
Which stakeholders could this apply to?
Chain of Custody certificate holders throughout the supply chain.
How to provide feedback:
The revisions are being developed as part of the MSC Chain of Custody Standard Review.
A consultation survey is open until 30 October 2026 to help refine the proposals.
The consultation includes a focus on the feasibility of capturing and maintaining the MSC fishery certification code throughout the supply chain.
Find out more about the Chain of Custody Standard Review and take part in the consultation.
What changes are being proposed?
Under the proposals, the chain of custody would begin at landing by default. However, assessors will still be able to require the chain of custody to start earlier if risks to traceability are identified.
A new template will also be introduced (the Fishery Certificate Template) to provide a consistent way for assessors to record traceability data and share it with the first buyer in a certified supply chain.
What are the intended outcomes?
The proposals intend to provide assessors a clearer and more consistent approach to establishing the start of the supply chain and ensure greater visibility of whether a product is eligible to enter certified supply chains. Businesses will also have access to clear and consistent data confirming the eligibility of products to enter an MSC certified supply chain.
Which scheme documents could this impact?
The MSC Fisheries Certification Process
Which stakeholders could this apply to?
Fisheries certificate holders.
How to provide feedback:
The proposals are being developed as part of the MSC Fisheries Program Revisions. Interested stakeholders can share their feedback on the proposals via a public survey, which will be open between 8 October and 8 December 2026.
Find out more about the Fisheries Program Revisions and take part in the consultation.
What changes have been proposed?
Revisions have been developed to the requirements for considering inseparable catch (previously referred to as inseparable and practicably inseparable stocks). These requirements will now sit in the Fisheries Certification Process traceability requirements, rather than in a separate annex.
Revisions will be made to clarify how assessors should consider inseparable catch (previously referred to as inseparable or practicably inseparable catch) and its entry into certified supply chains.
This includes clarifying which species can be considered inseparable and providing explicit eligibility criteria for those species which can enter a certified supply chain.
Inseparable catch that has been determined eligible must be identified in
the assessment report and the new Fishery Certificate Statement. New requirements also stipulate that assessors must continue to check eligibility at reassessment.
What are the intended outcomes?
The revisions aim to provide better control over when inseparable catch enter the supply chain, and greater assurance throughout the duration of a fishery certificate. This will strengthen the integrity of the supply chain, reducing the risk of mislabelled species being sold with the MSC ecolabel and providing greater transparency for businesses buying from certified fisheries.
Which scheme documents could this impact?
Fisheries Certification Process
Which stakeholders could this apply to?
Fishery certificate holders
How to provide feedback:
The proposals are being developed as part of the MSC Fisheries Program Revisions. Interested stakeholders can share their feedback on the proposals via a public survey, which will be open between 8 October and 8 December 2026.
Find out more about the Fisheries Program Revisions and take part in the consultation.
The MSC is investigating how to standardise the collection of vessel list data, without increasing the burden on fishery partners.
There are two phases to the project:- Short term: A revised Vessel Information Template has been proposed as a mandatory reporting tool. This aims to standardise the collection and reporting of vessel information for fisheries that represent a subset of the full fleet. This template will be consulted on as part of the Fisheries Program Revisions.
- Long term: The MSC is in the early stages of investigating the feasibility of expanding the vessel list requirements to include a greater number of fisheries and exploring ways to further improve data capture and management.
This will include further consultation with all stakeholders and exploring technical solutions to ensure that any new requirements are proportionate and feasible for all parties to apply. Further information on this aspect of the project will be shared at a later date.
What are the intended outcomes?
Through the short-term element of the project, the MSC aims to strengthen the credibility and integrity of its fisheries certification program by establishing a consistent approach to publishing vessel information. This includes standardising both the data gathered and location of this information on Track a Fishery.
The revisions would also enable certified supply chain businesses to access vessel information more easily, providing greater certainty about the origins of the certified products sourced.
Any outcomes from the vessel list project would be complementary to new requirements proposed through the Fisheries Program Revisions project and Chain of Custody Standard Review.
Which scheme documents does this apply to?
Fisheries Certification Process
Which stakeholders does this apply to?
Fisheries certificate holders
How to provide feedback:
The proposed Vessel Information Template is being developed as part of the MSC Fisheries Program Revisions. Interested stakeholders can share their feedback on the proposals via a public survey, which will be open between 8 October and 8 December 2026.
Find out more about the Fisheries Program Revisions and take part in the consultation.
The Traceability Enhancement Program (TEP) is exploring how standardised digital traceability data and interoperable data sharing can be used to strengthen assurance in certified seafood supply chains.
This work is being carried out in parallel to the Chain of Custody Standard Review and Fisheries Program Revisions. Together, these two projects are proposing complementary revisions to support certificate holders in transitioning to a new digitised system in future. These include requirements to collect traceability data in a standardised format and clarifying where the chain of custody begins.
What are the intended outcomes?
Implementing a digital, interoperable traceability system will help certified supply chain businesses comply with regulations and mitigate reputational risks by strengthening verification processes across the supply chain.
The project also aims to provide a more efficient risk-based approach to auditing, minimising duplication of data capture and audit burden, and supporting compliance with other schemes and regulatory requirements.
Which scheme documents could this apply to?
MSC Chain of Custody Standard
Which stakeholders could this apply to?
Chain of Custody certificate holders
How to provide input:
The MSC is currently piloting the Traceability Enhancement Program and welcomes participation from certificate holders that meet the following criteria:
- Certified businesses that use digital traceability systems and meet the GDST requirements
- Certified businesses that are interested in or committed to implementing an interoperable traceability system.
Find out more about the Traceability Enhancement Program and how to get involved in the pilot.
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