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Updated 2021
In 2017 the MSC set itself a target – to engage more of the world’s fisheries with the MSC Program and get them to move towards sustainable fishing practices by 2020. The MSC’s overarching aim was to accelerate progress towards ending overfishing, a goal which the UN and governments around the globe have agreed is an essential part of delivering Sustainable Development Goal 14, Protecting Life Below Water.
The same year, the European Commission (EC) was due to host Our Oceans, an annual conference that aims to find sustainable solutions to the problems facing the oceans and invite attendees to commit to those solutions. For most of its history, this conference had been dominated by governments. The EC wanted to change this, recognising that any discussion about using the ocean sustainably would be meaningless unless it included representatives from all the groups, stakeholders and actors that use, depend upon and interact with the oceans. This included scientists, NGOs and industry.
The EC engaged the MSC, an NGO that works with scientists, enlightened companies and stakeholders from across the value chain of the fishing industry. It motivates them to catch, buy and sell fish that meets the MSC’s Standard for sustainability and encourages others to do the same. The MSC was asked by the EC to use its influence to identify companies from the fishing and seafood industry that were already leading the way on sustainability and bring together their commitments at the conference.
The MSC responded by establishing the Leaders for a Living Ocean (LLO), a network of 27 companies drawn from all parts of the world and from across the global fish and seafood supply chain. All were already leaders in sustainability and had made public commitments that would accelerate progress towards the MSC’s goal of ending overfishing by 2020.
Nicolas Guichoux, MSC Chief Program Officer: “The companies we approached to join LLO included some of the largest fisheries, supermarkets, brands and restaurants in the world.
“They collectively exert huge influence over how the world catches, manages, sells and eats fish. Many of them had been with the MSC from the start, and had already made industry leading commitments to buy and sell more fish from sustainable sources. “By coming together and uniting their commitments behind one common MSC-led goal, these companies were able to send a powerful message. That message told the world’s fisheries that making the often time consuming and effortful change to operate sustainably would be rewarded. It exposed companies in the wider industry that claimed operating sustainably was not something they could do, whilst still selling products affordably and making a profit.
“Lastly it showed consumers that care about the oceans which companies they should reward by shopping and eating there."
The changes the Leaders for a Living Ocean had committed to were not superficial, or motivated by a desire for good PR. These companies were pledging to increase the amount of sustainable fish and seafood they caught, bought and sold. In some cases, this meant restructuring entire supply chains, stopping or changing certain product lines, and closing off the option of buying cheaper or more readily available fish and seafood.
What motivated these huge, global businesses to commit to sustainability in such a seismic way? Put simply, they had the foresight to realise before the rest of the industry, that if they wanted to stay in business and continue to sell fish and seafood into the future, they had no other choice.
Overfishing is one of many human activities that is harming the biodiversity and health of the oceans. More than a third of fisheries (34.2%) globally are already operating at unsustainable levels, meaning fish are being taken out of the sea faster than they can replenish. As the world’s population and the demand for fish and seafood continues to grow, this trend is set to worsen. As fish stocks plummet, the livelihoods, economies and food security of billions are at risk - particularly in the Global South. Something has to change.
Eating less fish or switching to selling and eating other kinds of food is possible for some, but it isn’t a realistic or scalable option for many across the globe. In 2021, billions already depend on fish and seafood as a vital source of protein and millions work in fishing and fish farming, especially in the developing world. By 2050, the world’s population will have grown to 10 billion people. Simply stopping fishing would risk undermining progress that has been made on global food security and hunger, and would damage vulnerable economies and risk jobs.
The world can continue to eat fish, while still protecting fish stocks and the biodiversity and health of the oceans and marine environment. For more than 20 years the MSC has been working with scientists and NGOs to set and continually update its Standard for sustainable fishing – then collaborating with enlightened fisheries, brands and retailers to move more of the industry towards a sustainable way of operating. Some of the Leaders for a Living Ocean have been working with the MSC for the entirety of that 20-year journey and their foresight is paying off as more evidence emerges that proves the effectiveness of the MSC model.
A full register of progress made against the LLO partners’ commitments can be explored. Here are some of the impacts that LLO partners’ commitments have made:
See the full list of Leaders for Living Ocean and their commitments
Despite the advent of Covid-19, the joint efforts of LLO partners to accelerate progress means that by the start of 2021, around 15% of the world’s wild caught fish and seafood is landed by MSC certified fisheries and a further 2% of fisheries are working towards certification or recertification. That means more than 17% of the world’s wild marine fisheries are engaged with the MSC Program.
This progress is being recognised. In April 2021 the UN published its second World Ocean Assessment (UN WOA II), a comprehensive global look at the state of the world’s oceans and the impact that humanity has had on them in the five years since the first Assessment. This latest publication pointed to evidence that improvements in fisheries management in some regions are leading to more sustainable outcomes. This was highlighted as one of very few positive impacts that humanity has had on the oceans in the last five years.
More than 38,000 sites, including supermarket chains, restaurants, fishmongers and hotels, are also now certified to sell seafood with the blue MSC label. Further eye-catching statistics include:
The world has ten years left to deliver the SDGs, including SDG 14 which includes within it a commitment to end overfishing. The MSC has a vital part to play in delivering the SDGs and has set itself the ambitious target of engaging 30% of wild marine catch in the Program by 2030. Positive signs are emerging that meeting this commitment may be possible, albeit perhaps not by the UN’s 2030 deadline. UN WOA II also referenced scientific findings that suggest 98% of currently overfished stocks could recover by the middle of this century if managed properly.
This won’t happen without a redoubling of commitment to sustainable fisheries management and collaboration from the industry, academia, NGOs and governments. Progress will only be made if we work together. The ongoing commitment from the Leaders for a Living Ocean, and the fisheries, processors, brands, supermarkets and restaurants who have been inspired by their actions, is a good foundation for this collaboration.
“This change cannot be delivered without the continued leadership of the Leaders for a Living Ocean partners. We now look to the wider fishing industry, governments, eNGOs and consumers to redouble their efforts, take action to move more of the world’s fisheries towards being sustainable, and use their influence and resources to encourage their peers to do the same.” says Nicolas Guichoux.
For over 20 years fisheries, scientists, consumers and industry have been part of a collective effort to make sure our oceans are fished sustainably.
The best way to understand the impact of the MSC program is through those involved. Read about the passionate people taking care of our oceans.
Data from the MSC is used by organisations committed to the UN's SDG's, to track progress towards international goals to end overfishing and protect biodiversity.
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