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.
