The MSC quality mark is a quality mark for sustainably caught fish. MSC stands for Marine Stewardship Council and is based on the older FSC (Forest Stewardship Council). Sustainable fishing is important to avoid major ecological disasters. Sustainable fishing is important to protect fishing, so that fish will also be available in the future. The choice for sustainable products lies with the consumer, not with the producer or the law. MSC-certified products can be recognized by the logo.
When is fishing sustainable?
It is difficult to determine when fishing is sustainable. Sustainability is determined by the Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY), literally translated as maximum sustainable yield. This is a number that expresses how much can be caught per fish species, usually in a mass unit (millions of kilos). The MSY is based on an estimate of the amount of fish in the ocean and the fish’s reproductive rate. Fishing is sustainable when less is caught than is newly ‘produced’, or born, so the total catch must be lower than the MSY.
Why sustainable fishing?
The oceans are immense, but at the same time extremely vulnerable. The marine ecosystem is very complex, the loss of one species can have major consequences for other species. An ecological cascade in which the extinction of one species leads to a mass extinction is not an unrealistic nightmare.
If many fish species become extinct, the oceans could become a lifeless pool, with perhaps a few species remaining . Plankton, for example, will be present in larger quantities, as will plant material. The oceans can become a dirty soup, in which swimming and sailing are no longer normal. This scenario may not be obvious, although it is possible.
The most immediate threat to humans is the economic damage that fisheries would feel if species became extinct. Fishing makes billions and for many people it is a job or even a lifestyle. If no more tuna , herring or salmon could be caught, it would mean an economic catastrophe. This would cause worldwide problems. Not only large-scale fishing is affected, but also small-scale fishing. Small fishing villages would get into trouble and in third world countries the source of income would disappear for many.
What does MSC do?
MSC is a quality mark for fishing. The quality mark may be placed on products if they have been sustainably caught. This means that special fishing techniques must be used to reduce bycatch, and that too much must not be caught. Sufficient fish must be left behind to maintain the population. This is not only good for the fish, but also for the fishing sector, as fishing will still be possible in the future. If a company meets these requirements, the MSC logo may be placed on the products. MSC has a supervisory role, it must ensure that the logo is only placed on products that are truly sustainable.
Why MSC?
The MSC logo
Quality marks have long been available for sustainably caught fish. However, all these quality marks had slightly different requirements. Which quality mark was the best, which were reliable and which were just for show was completely unclear to the average consumer. Now MSC is by far the largest quality mark. Almost all certified fish is MSC certified.
For a long time, attempts were made to force sustainability by legally regulating fishing. However, in practice this proved difficult. Ultimately, fishing now also follows the global trend. The consumer decides whether he wants sustainability or not.
Laws
As mentioned earlier, attempts were made for a long time to make sustainability mandatory. This still happens in the EU, but on a global scale it is becoming increasingly difficult. Every country has its own interests and that is to capture as much as possible. In addition, international law has a major problem with its implementation. Bringing a country to justice is not easy, so many countries fish more than they should. The interests of the here and now weigh heavily, and little thought is given to the future or other countries. Emerging economies and developing countries in particular do not want to be limited in their growth by what rich countries impose on them, although Western countries also do not adhere to the provisions. Legal provisions for sustainable fishing are therefore difficult to achieve.
Establishment of MSC
MSC was founded in 1997 by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Unilever. The aim was to stimulate and promote sustainability in fishing. The organization became independent in 1999, so MSC is no longer under the influence of the WWF or Unilever. The organization has grown from a small initiative into an international organization with offices in Great Britain, Scotland, United States, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Japan, South Africa and Australia.
MSC in the hospitality industry
MSC certified fish is increasingly sold in restaurants. Restaurants must be certified before they can call the fish they sell MSC certified, even if they already purchase certified fish. The idea of the MSC ecolabel is that the fish can be returned to the fishery that caught the fish. It is only certified if the entire chain from catch to preparation can be controlled, otherwise fraud can easily occur.
MSC in numbers
274 companies participate in MSC, of which 137 already have certification. These companies together catch almost 9 million tons, which is more than 10% of the world catch. 13,000 products have the MSC quality mark.
Issues
MSC has many advantages, but also some major problems. The most important are mentioned here.
Small fishermen excluded
Participating in the program and getting certified costs a lot of money. After all, a company must be able to demonstrate that the catch is sustainable. Group certification, i.e. a certificate for a group of fishermen, attempts to make certification accessible. In practice, however, this is not easy.
Sensitive to political pressure
The requirements for certification can be adjusted. In some cases, the situation may even improve and more people can participate if the requirements are relaxed slightly. This makes the system susceptible to political pressure, as is the case with any certification problem.
Inadequate
Many fishermen are already members of MSC, but not enough. In fact, the vast majority of fisheries are not certified. Because fish are mobile and migrate through different seas and oceans, certified companies are affected by this. Overfishing continues, a quality mark without further obligations cannot do anything about it.
Not exactly
The MSY system is far from accurate. This is because it is based on estimates of fish stocks and population dynamics. If there are a lot of fish in the ocean, they reproduce slowly, so too many fish is not desirable. If there are few fish in the ocean there is an even bigger problem. Fish can no longer reproduce successfully, for example because they cannot find each other. They’re dying out. The fish stock estimates are not very accurate and if the fish stock is estimated incorrectly, too many fish may be caught. The fish species may become extinct. This can be prevented by taking wider margins, but then there is less catch and therefore less yield.
read more
- Sustainable fish: the Aquaculture Stewardship Council ASC
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