- China /
- Sustainable Fisheries and Seafood /
- MSC Fisheries
Robert Earley
What is MSC Fisheries?
Many fisheries throughout China have turned to Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Certification to ensure that their fish and fish products can compete in the global marketplace and meet retailer requirements for sustainable fish. MSC certification assesses each fishery against three principles: 1) Stock health 2.) Environmental impacts 3.) Effective management. MSC certification assures buyers, retailers and general consumers that wild-capture fisheries conform to the internationally recognized MSC standard for environmental sustainability. Well known in China as a premier fisheries certification body, SCS Global Services brings 25 years of successful certification experience to the assessment of both marine or fresh water fishery operations.
The process of pursuing certification is divided into two parts:
1. Includes an initial gap analysis and readiness assessment for certification resulting in a report that either confirms readiness to progress into a public and transparent certification process or provides valuable insights into the development of a Fishery Improvement Project (FIP).
2. If progressing to the next phase, SCS will publicly post the report for stakeholder, peer review and MSC comments. The report is then updated to take into account all comments submitted, followed by a certification decision point report which itself is open to stakeholder comment prior to certification being awarded.
Why Choose SCS?
Since 1997 when SCS participated in the establishment of the international Marine Stewardship Council standard and became one of the standard’s first certification bodies, SCS has become known throughout the world for its thorough and competently executed MSC certification process, ensuring that your certification stands up to stakeholder, scientific and industry scrutiny. SCS has certified fisheries throughout China and has the capacity to successfully conduct complex and simple assessments in Spanish using local and regional auditors. We have certified operations ranging from large commercial fisheries to small community-based operations - more than two million metric tons of fish and shellfish worldwide, from Alaska to Antarctica.
Benefits
A growing number of food retailers, restaurants and institutions are seeking MSC certified fish and seafood. Potential advantages of MSC certification include:
- Increased market access and market share
- Price premiums
- Internationally recognized ecolabel
- Identify improvement opportunities
- Increased employee satisfaction
- Maintain good relations with local communities
- Access to government, development bank and other funding sources
- Showcase improvements
- Program Details
- Process
- Certified Clients
- FAQs
- Documents
Eligible Wild-Capture Fisheries
Any freshwater or marine fishery - regardless of size, scale, ecology, or geography - can seek certification. Eligible wild-capture fisheries include, but are not limited to:
- Single species and multiple species
- Trawl, longline, handraked and pots
- Freshwater and marine
- Inshore and offshore
- Pelagic and demersal
Eligible applicants include individuals, organizations, companies, government agencies, industry associations and local management authorities. The MSC has a program specifically designed to facilitate the participation of developing countries in certification.
Certification Criteria
Fisheries must meet or exceed the minimum standards in the following three areas:
- Sustainability of target fish stock
- Ecosystem integrity
- Effective fishery management system
Complementary Services
SCS also offers the convenience of combined MSC Chain of Custody audits with HACCP inspections through our Seafood Safety auditing programs. We also provide custom services for retail clients interested in having their in-house seafood program standards validated.
Aquaculture fish farms may be certified under the Aquaculture Stewardship Council Standards.
MSC Pre-Assessments
We can conduct pre-assessments for your fishery operation in preparation for a full assessment. Pre-assessments allow clients to gauge their likely conformity to the MSC standard and identify any improvements needed. This allows clients to demonstrate their firm commitment to supplying MSC product to their buyers.
A pre-assessment includes:
- Gap analysis of your operations against the standard
- Publication of a report identifying any areas of improvement
MSC Full Assessments
We offer full assessments for fisheries ready to proceed through the full MSC certification process. The extent and cost of the full assessment will be contingent on the number and type of improvements identified through the pre-assessment.
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Apply for Certification
Submit your application. You receive the SCS Assessment Services Agreement. Complete, sign, and return.
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Prepare a Proposal
We prepare a proposal that includes the scope, costs and details of the audit. Authorize the work order, and schedule your evaluation audit.
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Pre-Assessment (Optional)
SCS evaluates the qualifications of your fishery operation and determines what risks, if any, may limit your ability to successfully complete a rigorous and comprehensive assessment.
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On-Site Audit
An independent assessment team reviews documentation, interviews stakeholders and evaluates your fishery against specific performance indicators that relate to the health of the stock, the impacts on the ecosystem and the management system structures and functions.
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Audit Report and Public Comment
The SCS certification team then writes a draft report, which is reviewed by you and two independent peer reviewers. The report is then posted for public comment.
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Certification Decision
After considering all comments, a final report is released that includes the final decision on whether or not to award certification. If no objections have been raised, the public certification report is published and your fishery receives a certificate from SCS. SCS can also provide client marketing support.
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Annual Surveillance
Certification is valid for 5 years, subject to annual surveillance audits.
More details are available on the MSC website.
For the most up-to-date information regarding fishery status, see the MSC Track a Fishery website: https://fisheries.msc.org/en/fisheries/
Selected MSC responsible fishery clients assessed through SCS Global Services include:
- Annette Island Reserve Salmon
- Australia Blue Grenadier
- Australian HIMI Toothfish
- Australian Lakes and Coorong Mixed Fishery
- Australian Heard Island and McDonald Islands Icefish
- Australian Heard Island and McDonald Island Toothfish
- Australian Mackerel Icefish Fishery
- Australian Macquarie Island Toothfish in Australia
- Australian Peel Harvey Fishery Crab and Mullet
- Australian Small Pelagic
- Australian (Western Australia) Rock Lobster
- Australian West Coast Deep Sea Crab
- Canadian Atlantic Halibut
- Canadian Scotia-Fundy Haddock
- Canadian Pacific Halibut
- Canadian (British Columbia) Sablefish
- Canadian Scotian Shelf Shrimp
- Canadian Spiny Dogfish
- British Columbia Halibut Fishery
- Japanese Hokkaido Salmon
- Kyoto Danish Seine Fishery Federation Snow Crab Flathead Flounder
- Mexican Baja California Lobster
- Mexican Gulf of California Sardines
- Mexican Gulf of California Thread Herring
- Northeastern Tropical Pacific Purse Seine Yellowfin and Skipjack Tuna
- Oregon Dungeness Crab Fishery
- PNA Skipjack and Yellowfin
- Russian Iturup Island Salmon
- South Australia Lakes & Coroong Fishery
- US American Samoa Tuna
- US Atlantic Deep-Sea Red Crab
- US Atlantic Surf Clam and Ocean Quahog
- US Annette Islands Reserve Salmon
- US Louisiana Blue Crab
- US Oregon Dungeness Crab
- US North Pacific Halibut
- US North Pacific Sablefish
What is the Marine Stewardship Council certification?
Fisheries are assessed against three MSC principles (stock health, environmental impacts, and effective management) to achieve Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification. In addition, Chain of Custody (CoC) certification provides accurate and efficient services globally to track sustainably sourced seafood from the point of harvest, from MSC-certified sources.
What are the benefits of MSC certification?
MSC certification offers many benefits, which may include: Increased market access and market share; Price premiums; Internationally recognized ecolabel; Identify improvement opportunities; Maintain good relations with local communities; Access to government, development bank and other funding sources.
How does my company get certified?
The certification processes for both Fisheries and Chain of Custody certification are described under the Process tab on this webpage.
Do I need to be MSC certified?
Certification is entirely voluntary. However, if you wish to sell certified product with the MSC certification claim, either to business customers or consumers, then your operation and every upstream operation in the value chain must be certified.
What happens when I get MSC certified?
Successful applicants are issued an SCS Certificate that details the scope of their certifications, and are entitled to sell and promote their certified products using the MSC certification logo, in accordance with SCS and MSC logo and language guidelines. In addition, SCS can provide custom client marketing support.
Where can I find a full list of MSC Chain of Custody certified fisheries and companies?
For the most up-to-date information about certified fisheries as well as companies who have undergone Chain of Custody certification, visit the MSC Track a Fishery website: https://fisheries.msc.org/en/fisheries/
What types of fisheries has SCS certified?
Since the program began, we’ve certified hundreds of fisheries around the world. Examples include: Annette Island Reserve Salmon, Mexican Baja California Lobster, Mexican Gulf of California Sardines, Russian Iturup Island Salmon, US Atlantic Surf Clam and Ocean Quahog, US North Pacific Sablefish and Halibut.
When is a fishery pre-assessment needed?
The fishery pre-assessment serves as an initial gap analysis and readiness assessment. The resulting report either confirms readiness to progress into a public and transparent certification process or provides valuable insights into the development of a Fishery Improvement Project (FIP).
How much does certification cost?
The cost of certification assessment is determined based on the complexity of the operation in question, and the time required to complete the work. All work is conducted on a time and materials basis. Having an assessment conducted does not guarantee that a certificate will be issued. Companies applying for multiple SCS services enjoy price discounts due to efficiencies (e.g., MSC Chain of Custody and Seafood HACCP). Please ask your sales associate about the types of certifications that might benefit your company.
How long does certification take?
Customer service and responsiveness is our priority. For fisheries, a typical certification takes roughly 14 months to allow for required public stakeholder consultation and peer review. For chain of custody certification, we typically are able to send our auditors to your facility, provide you with an audit report, and make a certification decision within roughly 2 months.
| Document Name | Document |
|---|---|
| Benefits of MSC Sustainable Fishery Certification | English | Spanish |
| MSC Fisheries Certification Requirements and Guidance, V2.0 | English |
| MSC Fishery: Principles and Criteria for Sustainable Fishing | Visit Site |
Robert Earley
Featured Clients
To see a list of clients who are certified by SCS Global Services, click here
