The MSC is revising the Risk-Based Framework, which is used to support the assessment of data-limited fisheries. The revisions will ensure assessments are appropriately precautionary and improve alignment with the Fisheries Standard.
The revisions to the Risk-Based Framework are being carried out as part of the MSC’s Fisheries Program Revisions, to address issues arising from Version 3.1 of the Standard, and associated scheme documents. The changes proposed intend to ensure the MSC program continues to drive real and lasting progress towards ending overfishing.
Take part in our consultation
Why are revisions needed?
The Risk-Based Framework (RBF) is a tool used to assess and score data-deficient fisheries against specific areas of the MSC Fisheries Standard.
Following the implementation of Version 3 of the Standard, stakeholder feedback and an internal review carried out by the MSC identified several issues with the RBF. This included concerns that the RBF was over precautionary in some scenarios, making it challenging for well-managed fisheries to achieve certification. However, in other scenarios the RBF was not precautionary enough.
There was also recognition of the need to reduce unnecessary complexity and improve the assessment process to reduce stakeholder fatigue and encourage participation.
What revisions have been proposed?
The revisions intend to ensure the Risk-Based Framework provides an appropriate level of precaution and can be applied consistently, while still allowing the best available evidence to inform assessment decisions.
Use of the RBF intersects with multiple aspects of the Standard and so additional changes will be made to align with other revisions made during the Fisheries Program Revisions.
The proposed revisions and rationale for change are described in each section below.
You can also read the Summary of Proposed Changes document for more information on all revisions.
Proposed change
Revisions have been made to clarify the circumstances in which the RBF should be used (the 'triggering requirements').
This includes defining that the RBF should only be used when the available information is not sufficient to determine the direct effects of the fishery. The revisions also provide clarity on the level and quality of information that is considered sufficient – and therefore when the default assessment tree should be used. This applies to the assessment of all species under Principle 2 (including endangered species) and aligns with the removal of references to 'favourable conservation status' in the Standard.
Under Principle 1 triggering requirements were revised clarify that the RBF can be used for all target species, including key low trophic level species such as krill and small pelagic fish.
Rationale
The changes establish a clearer, information-based threshold for determining when the default assessment approach can be used and when the RBF is necessary. This is key to ensuring assessors take a more consistent approach to applying the RBF.
Proposed change
Assessors will be required to consider outputs from the RBF alongside any other relevant and reliable evidence when deciding how to score a given scoring element. If no additional evidence is available, the RBF output remains the basis for the scoring decision. All information used to score a scoring element will be subjected to the default information scoring issues and the Evidence Requirements Framework. This is a change from the previous requirement, where assessors could adjust an RBF score by a fixed number of points. This applies to all species and habitats assessed under Principle 2 using the RBF.
Rationale
This intends to make scoring more transparent, and ensure all credible information is considered in the assessments. In doing so, MSC aims to remove unnecessary obstacles for fisheries working to close conditions of certification.
Proposed change
The process for engaging stakeholders in assessments when the RBF is used has been streamlined. Relevant RBF information will now be incorporated into the main fishery assessment announcement, including information on important data gaps and, where appropriate, draft RBF scores. This will replace the current process, where use of the RBF is announced separately.
There will also be more flexibility in how stakeholders can participate in the process, with engagement no longer restricted to attending site visits.
Rationale
The streamlined and more flexible approach will help stakeholders provide input more easily and earlier on in the process. This should encourage more stakeholders to participate, helping to provide valuable information to support the assessment.
Take part in our consultation
A 60-day public consultation on the proposed revisions is open until 8 December 2026.
All stakeholders and partners with an interest in the Fisheries Standard and assessment process can view the proposals and provide feedback through an online survey.
Attend our webinars
We will hold a series of webinars between 2 and 6 November 2026 to support participation in the consultation.
Each webinar will focus on a different set of revisions, providing a detailed explanation of the key revisions proposed and rationale for change. Attendees will also have an opportunity to ask questions during a live Q&A session.
There will be two webinars on the same topics held each day (07:00 – 08:00 UTC and 16:00 – 17:00 UTC).
Developing the revisions
A project to develop revisions to the Risk-Based Framework began in 2024 (The MSC Fisheries Standard Toolbox Review). A public consultation on the proposed changes was held in 2025:
View the Toolbox Review Consultation Summary Report
The Toolbox review has since been incorporated into the Fisheries Program Revisions, and the feedback from the 2025 consultation used to refine the proposals shared for further consultation in October 2026.
Pilot testing, mock assessments and impact assessments will be carried out to ensure any proposed changes to the Risk-Based Framework and other scheme documents deliver the intended sustainability outcomes and can be consistently applied.
Next steps
All feedback from the October 2026 consultation will be analysed and used to refine the proposed revisions alongside findings from mock assessments, pilot tests and impact assessments.
A further 30-day consultation is expected to be held in April 2027.
The updated version of the Standard is expected be issued in September 2027 and come into effect six months after publication (early 2028).
If you have any questions about the Fisheries Program Revisions, please contact [email protected] or your local MSC representative.
