Sustainable fishing and communities

Communities around the world depend on the fishing industry for food and income.

And for many people fishing is a way of life and a necessity, not a luxury.

With increasing population levels and challenges such as climate change, sustainable fishing is vital to safeguard food security and the livelihoods of millions of people around the world.

According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (UN FAO):

3.3 bn

people get at least 20% of their daily animal protein intake from fish

38 million

people employed directly in wild capture fisheries

Over

50%

of the world’s traded seafood comes from developing countries

Up to

10%

of the global population relies on fisheries for their livelihood

In 2018, 85% of the global population engaged in the fisheries and aquaculture sectors was in Asia, followed by Africa (9%) and the Americas (4%) - (UNFAO SOFIA 2018 Report)

Sustainable fishing, sustainable communities

The MSC encourages responsible fisheries management and sustainable practices to protect the future of fishing communities.

Fishing is often a family business – future generations will only benefit if oceans remain healthy. Responsible fishers are choosing to fish sustainably in order to pass on their treasured way of life. 37% of the world’s population live in coastal communities where whole families are often employed in fishing. Women account for most of the workers in secondary marine-related activities such as fish processing and marketing.

Buying MSC certified fish and seafoodhelps sustain the livelihoods of those fishing responsibly.

Ocean Lives

Meet the people behind sustainable seafood. The MSC program is a collective effort that could not exist without the many fishers around the world who work to safeguard stocks, ecosystems and their own livelihoods.

Read the fishers’ stories

Find out more

What we do

Pathway to sustainability

We are working with NGOs, governments, retailers and funders around the world to create a pathway to sustainability for small-scale fisheries and fisheries in developing countries.