The Marine Stewardship Council and Developing Countries - SEAFOOD Ecolabelling: Principles and Practice - page 301

December 2005, p. 12). After the 2006 allocation, for the first time assigned quotas
for a period of 15 years, industry compliance to regulation is likely to decrease. A
review of allocations should follow every 2-3 years to assess compliance with the
allocation policy, but there is very limited capacity at MCM at present to undertake
such reviews. A former MCM officer stated that: 'many quota holders are privately
admitting that there will be a free ride for the next 15 years' (author's interview, Cape
Town, 22 November 2005). Yet, the MSC surveillance team's report does not use
the limited managerial capabilities at MCM to provide a case for de-certification.
On the contrary, staffing problems are used as a justification for failure to comply
with some conditions.

14.4 An evaluation of MSC certification in South Africa

The commercial benefits that were expected to accrue to the South African hake
industry from MSC certification have for the most part not materialised. According
to one of the key beneficiaries of MSC certification in South Africa, suppliers of
MSC certified hake have received the same price as for 'regular' fish from their
buyers. It may be possible, though, that the MSC ecolabel has ensured that existing
markets were maintained in the face of competition from other (and ecolabelled)
products. In terms of actual impact on sustainability, recent media reports suggest
that the hake stock is in danger and that catches are at historically low levels ( Fishing
Industry News , June 2006, pp. 10-11; Mail & Guardian , 30 June 2006).
Yet, these outcomes may not be such a problem for the main drivers of MSC
certification in South Africa, since they have achieved two other objectives. First,
the proportion of TAC allocated to the hake longlining industry has not increased
in the key allocation of long-term rights determined in 2006 (it is still 10% of the
overall hake TAC). But even more importantly, MCM embedded in its own policy -
the argument that fewer players are better for conservation than many players
(MCM 2005). No new entrants were assigned quotas and some of the smaller
existing quotas were not renewed (see Table 14.2). Although large companies lost
a proportion of their quotas, the allocation of long-term rights is likely to create
a secondary market for quotas. As a result, an even more concentrated industry
(possibly in 'white hands') may emerge in the midterm to extract an increasingly
scarce resource (Ponte & van Sittert 2007). This is no guarantee that 'sustainability'
will be maintained.

14.5 Conclusions

MSC certification, far from being simply a neutral and equal instrument yielding
better conservation of fish stocks for humanity, is achieved in the context of global
and local competition, special interest battles, and local politics. In South Africa,