New research on Eco-labelling and Certification

Over the past decade,  the Marine Stewardship Council has moved from the periphery to the centre of fisheries management and debate globally and in the UK. Through its eco-labelling initiative, the MSC has made improvements in fisheries practice and has raised the profile and the implementation of the ecosystem approach. However, despite these successes, the credibility of the MSC is under challenge over some of the fisheries it assesses and runs the risk of certifying ‘sustainable fisheries within degraded ecosystems’.

In the public sphere, a ‘fragile optimism’ for MSC eco-labelled products exists alongside an engaged but increasingly competitive and conflict-ridden industry that is split over management actions and maintaining the resource. The role of the MSC in this dynamic will be increasingly important for improving fisheries sustainability and marine conservation - but is an approach that is increasingly controversial.

Dr Tavis Potts from The Scottish Association for Marine Science explores these issues in depth in the following report.

LINK TO THE REPORT