Long-Term Impacts of Fisheries Certification: 8+ Years Under the Marine Stewardship Council Program

Market-based incentives have been conceived to promote the development of sustainable fishing practices and to reduce impacts on associated ecosystems. Of these, certification and eco-labelling has been the most prominent and fastest growing, requiring fisheries to comply with a set of provisions designed to achieve healthy fish stocks, minimize environmental impacts, and promote effective management. In return, eco-labelled products may attract new markets, attain higher prices and/or wider consumer acceptance. However, this growth has led to debate on the actual effectiveness of seafood eco-labelling schemes in promoting sustainable fish stocks. The Marine Stewardship Council is the most prevalent fisheries certification program, with 252 fisheries currently certified and 100 others under assessment, representing 12% of the global wild harvest (March 2015). Here, we analyse the status of 15 fisheries with at least 8 years in the Program by using long-term empirical information on stock status and bycatch species as well as other fishery and management performance metrics. We highlight areas of improvements as well as challenges in keeping up with changes in the Standard and in completing improvement plans. Finally, we discuss the importance of industry and other stakeholders' engagement in achieving sustainability as defined by the MSC.