We are now working with industry leaders to develop the first measurable, science-based standards for aquaculture products. Like with wild fisheries, aquaculture can have tremendous environmental impacts that must be carefully managed. Check out the Aquaculture Stewardship Council FAQ.
Oceans
Transforming Seafood Markets
Increased market demand for seafood and poor governance often support unsustainable fisheries. WWF and our partners influence policy to ensure sustainable markets for wild-caught seafood and aquaculture products.
We work with major seafood buyers to use their purchasing power to secure seafood from sustainable sources, assess current supply chains, and improve the management of the world’s fisheries. We provide producers of wild-caught seafood with the technical assistance to assess and adjust their current operations so they can achieve credible certification, such the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) or Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC).
We work with major seafood buyers to use their purchasing power to secure seafood from sustainable sources, assess current supply chains, and improve the management of the world’s fisheries. We provide producers of wild-caught seafood with the technical assistance to assess and adjust their current operations so they can achieve credible certification, such the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) or Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC).
We Need You
All the efforts on certification in the world won’t matter if they are not supported and embraced by an informed public. Good fishing practices should be rewarded, and less sustainable fisheries should have a powerful incentive to change. As consumers, we can all support responsible fisheries by the seafood products that we choose to eat.
Freighter
MSC - Marine Stewardship Council
To create the link between those who harvest the fish and those who buy the products, the Marine Stewardship Council, or MSC, was founded in 1997 by WWF and Unilever as an independent not-for-profit organization to promote responsible fishing practices worldwide.
The goal of the MSC is to assess and certify fisheries to help recognize and reward sustainable practices, and to provide consumers with a sustainable choice. The MSC provides a global standard across all fisheries, available anywhere in the world, supported by major companies and environmental organizations. This is increasingly necessary in today’s global seafood market.
The MSC is independent and transparent, with the results of an assessment available to the public. It provides chain of custody traceability. That means it ensures all the way through the value chain – from the boat to your plate – that the fish you are buying was actually fished responsibly.
In order for fish products to obtain the MSC label, they must meet three overarching principles:
The goal of the MSC is to assess and certify fisheries to help recognize and reward sustainable practices, and to provide consumers with a sustainable choice. The MSC provides a global standard across all fisheries, available anywhere in the world, supported by major companies and environmental organizations. This is increasingly necessary in today’s global seafood market.
The MSC is independent and transparent, with the results of an assessment available to the public. It provides chain of custody traceability. That means it ensures all the way through the value chain – from the boat to your plate – that the fish you are buying was actually fished responsibly.
In order for fish products to obtain the MSC label, they must meet three overarching principles:
- The stocks must be sustainable. Any certified fishery must operate so that fishing can be expected to continue indefinitely and not overexploit the resource.
- The fishery must minimize environmental impacts and maintain the ecosystem on which the fishery depends.
- Fish must come from well-managed fisheries that meet local, national and international laws.
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Loblaw makes responsible, sustainable sourcing of seafood top priority.
Marine Stewardship Council
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