The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) has set out its new strategy to support the growth of sustainable seafood.
Speaking at the MSC’s Seafood Futures Forum, held at Seafood Expo Global 2023 in Barcelona, Chief Executive Rupert Howes said the not-for-profit standard setter would continue to maintain standards for sustainable fishing while expanding market opportunities that incentivise more sustainable fishing globally.
According to MSC, this strategy will see an increased focus on research and advocacy efforts which support its certified fisheries and also fisheries on their journey to sustainability.
“Climate change and overexploitation present an existential threat to our oceans and seafood supplies,” Howes said. “The last year has seen breakthroughs in a number of international agreements, including on ocean biodiversity which if implemented could help safeguard our shared ocean. The MSC will support governments, industry, fishers, scientists and conservationists to build on this momentum and turn pledges into tangible progress.”
Also during the event, Professor Manuel Barange, Director for Fisheries and Aquaculture at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) explained the importance of food from oceans, rivers and lakes in delivering the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals in line with the its Blue Transformation agenda.
“There is now wide acceptance across governments that aquatic foods will play a fundamental role in feeding a growing population while reducing carbon emissions and pressure on land-based sources of food – but only if it is produced in a sustainable way,” said Barange. “Emerging policies, investment and support for aquatic foods offer new opportunities for seafood businesses to transform the way they operate.”
MSC’s Chief Programme Officer Nicolas Guichoux informed the event that at the end of March 2023, 19% of the global seafood catch was either certified or in assessment to the MSC Standard with 42 new fisheries achieving MSC certification in the past year, representing 15 different species.
Tuna and pollock remain the dominant certified species, he said. In addition, fisheries in Latin America and Indonesia have seen significant improvement.
There has also been strong growth in sustainable seafood sales in Southern Europe, North America and Japan as a result of increased commitments by companies such as Lidl, Findus, Bolton and Walmart.
“Increasing consumer awareness of the impact that food has on the planet is influencing retailers’ sourcing policies and therefore the way the ocean is fished,” said Guichoux.
In June, MSC will launch new campaign “It all starts here” for World Ocean Day 2023 and 2024, encouraging the seafood community and consumers to support a healthy, thriving ocean.
