Improving fisheries management

Effective management is the foundation of a sustainable fishery. 

Fisheries must control the fishing pressure put on any fish stock to ensure it can be fished sustainably in the long term. They must also protect the environment and secure the livelihoods of fishers.  

Sustainable fisheries should be governed in a fair and transparent manner, with clear objectives that guide decision making in the short and long term. 

Effective monitoring, control and surveillance need to be at the heart of any fishery management system. There also need to be clear systems in place that enforce these management rules. 

The MSC requirements for fisheries management

The way in which a fishery is governed, and the management system it has in place, is assessed under Principle 3 of the MSC Fisheries Standard (effective fisheries management).

When fisheries are assessed, the certification body checks that:

• An effective legal or customary framework is in place that recognises the rights of people dependent on fishing for food and livelihoods
• Management objectives are consistent with the Fisheries Standard
• There are effective consultation and decision-making processes in place
• The is a system in place to effectively enforce management rules
• The performance of the management system is evaluated

Latest global efforts

Surveillance technology has advanced significantly in recent years, with fisheries managers increasingly make use of surveillance tools.

Satellite tracking of vessels now allows fishery managers to detect suspicious and illegal fishing activity even in the most remote parts of the ocean. Electronic monitoring – the use of cameras and sensors installed on board fishing vessels – is also revolutionising the way fishery managers can observe activities at sea.

This allows managers to make better informed decisions and means best practice in monitoring, control and surveillance is evolving.

Improving our Standards

Every few years we review the MSC Standards so they remain relevant. This allows us to incorporate widely accepted new science and fisheries management best practice, as well as improve  implementation and address stakeholder concerns.