The Marine Stewardship Council has been accused of ‘greenwashing’ after more than half of seafood industry stakeholders said that it was no longer an effective indicator of sustainable fishing.
Those are the findings of an online consultation run by the On The Hook campaign which surveyed NGOs, government, academia, industry, and seafood retailers and consumers from April through to July this year.
Of the 69 respondents from 14 countries, 57% felt that the MSC does not currently serve as an effective indicator of sustainable fishing with 77% saying that the MSC’s use of the term ‘sustainable’ was not in line with market and consumer expectations.
“The MSC is very close to the point where it is undermining its own avowed aim to promote sustainable fisheries,” said Charles Redfern, founder of Fish4Ever and On The Hook member.
‘Lost the room’
“It’s lost the room amongst the experts, NGOs and scientists in fishing and is increasingly seen amongst the most ethically minded retailers and public as a greenwashing screen for large businesses,” he added.
Whilst almost a third (32%) could cite examples where MSC certification had incentivised improvements, three quarters thought there were specific instances in which a fishery was certified when it should not have been.
Furthermore, 40% of respondents felt that the MSC had lowered its standards for certification as it has grown in size and nearly half (49%) believe the MSC is not keeping pace of emerging threats.
Many felt that progress on certain issues was unsatisfactory including on climate change (86%), human rights (84%), endangered species (76%), ghost gear and plastic pollution (75%) and shark finning (75%).
On The Hook will be making both immediate and longer-term recommendations for MSC to implement.
The MSC has been contacted for comment.
