Updated standard for MSC certification to apply from 1st April 2015. (Photo Credit: MSC/CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Marine Stewardship Council Publishes Updated Fisheries Standard

The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) has launched its updated standard for sustainable fishing.

Version 2.0 of the MSC’s Fisheries Certification Requirements reflects the most up-to-date understanding of fishery science and management. The standard was developed over the past two years and involved a year-long consultation with fishing industry experts, scientists, NGOs and MSC’s wide network of partners. It encompasses the expert knowledge of MSC stakeholders from around the world.

Special considerations now ensure the protection of Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems.

Ensuring most up-to-date practices

The updated standard raises the bar for a number of important issues including bycatch mitigation, vulnerable marine ecosystems and forced labour. It ensures that fisheries certified against the MSC standard continue to adopt the most up-to-date practices in order to ensure the security of fish stocks and livelihoods for generations to come.

MSC fisheries will no long be at risk of generating cumulative negative impacts on bycatch species.

Six months to apply the updates

Conformity assessment bodies (CABs) now have six months to understand and apply the updates so that from 1 April 2015 any fishery entering MSC assessment will be assessed against the updated standard. Fisheries that are already certified to the MSC standard will have to apply the updated standard at their first re-assessment commencing after 1 October 2017.

“This is an exciting development for the MSC. It adds rigour and robustness to the program and will have a positive and lasting impact on the health of world’s oceans,” explains MSC Standards Director Dr David Agnew.

Revised surveillance audit and re-assessment requirements have been developed intended to minimise the assessment costs for fishery clients.

10 key updates
1. Special considerations now ensure the protection of Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems (VMEs);
2. MSC fisheries will no long be at risk of generating cumulative negative impacts on bycatch species;
3. Fisheries will need to regularly review alternative measures that could reduce the mortality of unwanted species in the catches;
4. Strengthened requirements will ensure that shark finning is not occurring in MSC fisheries;
5. An entirely new default standard has been introduced for the assessment of enhanced salmon fisheries, following six years of discussion with stakeholders;
6. A new risk based framework (RBF) assessment method for habitats is now available for use in data-limited situations;
7. Revised surveillance audit and re-assessment requirements have been developed intended to minimise the assessment costs for fishery clients;
8. An independent Peer Review College has been created to provide a more standardised and effective peer review process;
9. Requirements have been added to provide more effective traceability of seafood products from fisheries into the supply chain;
10. Companies successfully prosecuted for forced labour violations shall be ineligible for MSC certification.

Requirements have been added to provide more effective traceability of seafood products from fisheries into the supply chain.

The new certification requirements enable the standard to remain consistent with international best practice in science and management. The FSR has also allowed the MSC to stay in line with FAO ecolabelling guidelines and the ISEAL standard setting code.

About the Marine Stewardship Council

The Marine Stewardship Council is the world's leading certification and ecolabelling program for sustainable seafood. The MSC runs an exciting and ambitious program, working with partners to transform the world's seafood markets and promote sustainable fishing practices. With experts we developed standards for sustainable fishing and seafood traceability. They ensure that MSC-labelled seafood comes from, and can be traced back to, a sustainable fishery.

Source:MSC

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