SAMS news room

For three years SAMS’ Dr Tavis Potts has been investigating how eco-labelled seafood products perform in the market, whether they influence consumers, what the fisheries and aquaculture industries think of certification, and how the Marine Stewardship Council implements its standards and builds credibility.

As marine stewardship initiatives move towards the centre of fisheries management strategies, debate over the validity of ecolabels continues.

Over the past year the Marine Stewardship Council has moved from the periphery to the centre of fisheries management and debate in the UK. Through its independent eco-labelling initiative, the MSC has made improvements in fisheries practice and has raised the profile and the implementation of the ecosystem approach. Despite these successes, the credibility of the MSC is under challenge over some of the fisheries it assesses and runs the risk of certifying ‘sustainable fisheries within degraded ecosystems’.

Combined with a ‘fragile optimism’ for MSC eco-labelled products in the public sphere and an engaged industry that is seeking public recognition, the role of the MSC will be important for improving fisheries sustainability - but an approach that is increasingly controversial.