Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
The MSC is seeking to consolidate on past successes and to move the programme
on to the point where its impact will become irreversible. We have in our sights the
creation of a 'tipping point' where the MSC's presence and profile in the market-
place creates a self-sustaining momentum. This will be built on 'supply push' as
more and more fisheries come forward into the assessment process, and 'demand
pull' as the commercial sector increasingly demands sustainable seafood choices
in their purchasing decisions to meet both their own corporate responsibility obli-
gations and their customers' demands and expectations. Achieving this 'virtuous
circle' will empower the MSC to deliver its key objectives more effectively and
comprehensively as less well-managed fisheries, the so-called red and amber list
fisheries, are increasingly encouraged to implement sustainable practices as the
market for non-certified seafood shrinks. It is here where the most substantial envi-
ronmental gains will be won as these fisheries implement changes in management
practice to get them to the starting gate of an MSC assessment.
4.5
Progress to date
The MSC is now in its eighth year of operation as a global, independent not-
for-profit organisation (and registered charity). It seems increasingly clear that the
credible and robust marine ecolabelling and certification programmes like the MSC
are part of the solution to addressing the challenges of unsustainable fishing. As the
business and ecological cases for certification get stronger, the momentum building
up behind the MSC has increased considerably. The programme has finally over-
come the challenge of 'no supply-no market, no market-no supply' as the volumes
and range of species of certified seafood have continued to grow. In the last 2-3
years, certified fisheries have increased by nearly fourfold and the number of MSC-
labelled products available around the world has risen from under 200 in 2004 to
nearly 700 in mid-2007. The momentum behind the programme continues to build
as more fisheries come forward into the assessment process and the demand for
both certified and ecolabelled seafood increases around the world (Table 4.1). Cer-
tified fisheries and labelled products are two of MSC's key performance indicators,
reflecting the joint success of our fisheries and commercial outreach activities in
various countries around the world.
4.5.1 Europe
In the UK, six fisheries have been certified against the MSC standard, including
the South West mackerel handline fishery, and the Hastings pelagic and Dover
sole fisheries (Plate 4.2). In recent years there has been greater interest, espe-
cially in Northern Europe, with the assessment (and certification) of Dutch and
Swedish fisheries, and now fisheries located in Norway and Germany, and more
UK fisheries, are in assessment. Several herring fisheries operating in and around
the North Sea have also sought certification, and in June 2007 a Norwegian cod and
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