MSC Aquaculture Stakeholder Review
Web-based Survey
Web survey closed.
The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) has appointed Harewelle International Ltd to undertake a confidential stakeholder survey on whether MSC should engage in a certification and labelling programme covering aquaculture products.
You have been invited to complete this web survey because you are one of MSC's stakeholders and we are interested in your views.
Background
The MSC programme is designed to identify and create market-based incentives for environmentally well managed and sustainable fisheries.
Since it was established in 1997, MSC has become the most widely recognised marine eco-labelling and certification programme for wild capture fisheries in the world. Over 100 fisheries are now engaged at some stage of MSC's independent assessment process and there are now perhaps 300-400 million items of MSC labelled seafood being sold annually in 36 countries around the world.
In recent years, MSC has come under increasing pressure from the retail and supply sector and some marine conservation NGOs to expand into aquaculture. Key markets for the MSC in Europe, North America and in Japan are increasingly requiring certified and labelled seafood to provide their consumers assurances about the environmental provenance of their seafood choices. Aquaculture is growing rapidly - it now accounts for almost 50% all seafood, while wild capture fisheries production is static.
A number of aquaculture certification programmes (e.g., Global Gap, Global Aquaculture Alliance/ACC, Friend of the Sea) are now operating and FAO will shortly issue guidelines for sustainable and environmentally sound aquaculture. It also seems increasingly likely that an Aquaculture Stewardship Council will be launched to house the aquaculture standards that will emerge from WWF dialogues.
Retailers are concerned that the current plethora of labels is confusing consumers and would like to see the emergence of a more simple labelling system. Some advocate for a 'one-stop shop' that would certify and label both wild capture and aquaculture products.
If MSC decided to move into aquaculture certification and labelling, it would secure its position as the leading fisheries certification and labelling organisation and would bring to the sector its recognised brand, its rigorous scientific assessment procedures and the synergies that would come from using supply chains already certified with the MSC's traceability standard.
However, many MSC wild capture fisheries clients are against the move, arguing that it would reduce their ability to differentiate their wild products in the market place. They point out that only 8% of wild capture fisheries worldwide are certified and MSC has a lot of work still to do in this sector.
MSC faces two risks. If it expands into aquaculture there is a risk that its brand could become diluted and may be damaged if aquaculture certification and labelling does not work well. On the other hand, if it does not grasp the opportunity, there is a danger that others will and they will eventually move into wild capture fisheries (the 'one stop shop') and eclipse MSC. If MSC is eclipsed, it would risk the investments made by fisheries clients in the MSC programme.
The MSC Board discussed the issue, in November 2006, and decided then to focus on its core mission - to promote sustainable growth of wild capture fisheries. However, in light of the recent developments outlined above, the Board has decided to review its decision.
Harewelle International Ltd, a UK consultancy company have been appointed to undertake a stakeholder review and to report to the MSC Board on 11-12 June 2008. This survey is part of this exercise.
Click here for the survey form (survey closed)
