Teeming with life
A summary of the Marine Stewardship Council’s Strategic Plan, 2017-2020

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Contents

Our mission is to use ourecolabel and fishery certification
program to contribute to thehealth of the world’s oceansby recognising and rewarding
sustainable fishing practices,
influencing the choices people
make when buying seafood andworking with our partners totransform the seafood market
to a sustainable basis.

© MSC / Ulf BerglundOur vision is for the world’s
oceans teeming with life, andseafood supplies safeguarded
for this and future generations.

Why we're here

2

The MSC at 20

4

Our strategy

6

In focus: impacts at scale 

8In focus: the global south

10

Our priorities

12Power of partnership

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A summary of the Marine Stewardship Council’s Strategic Plan, 2017-2020

Why we’re here

But the oceans are not inexhaustible orindestructible. More than a quarter of fisheries
globally are overexploited, and many others aren’t
managed as well as they could be. Coupled withclimate change, pollution and other manmade
impacts, this is putting ocean ecosystems under
tremendous pressure.
At the same time, there is growing global
recognition of the importance of ocean
conservation, most prominently encapsulated in
the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The SDGs include a standalone goal (SDG14) toconserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas
and marine resources for sustainable

development, including an ambitious target to
end overfishing, transform fisheries management
and rebuild stocks by 2020. Other goals andtargets are also highly relevant to MSC’s work,
including SDG12, which aims to ensuresustainable consumption and production
patterns. Signed by 193 countries, the SDGs set
the agenda for governments, business anddevelopment agencies between now and 2030.

More fisheries
choose to improvetheir practices andvolunteer to beassessed to the
MSC Standard

MSC and our partners have an important
contribution to make to this shared vision. Overthe last 20 years, we’ve helped to catalyse better
fisheries management, forge partnerships anddeliver real change from the Arctic to the Indian
Ocean.
But we can do more. We need to inspire
improvements in more fisheries and ocean
ecosystems. We need to enable more fishers,
particularly those in the global south, to benefit
from certification and better management. We
need to build new markets for sustainableseafood to reward and encourage further
sustainable practices. And we need to ensure ourstandards remain robust, credible and effective.
Our Integrated Strategic Plan (ISP) outlines how
we’re going to make this happen over the next
three years, and beyond.

Retailers andrestaurants choose
MSC certified
sustainableseafood

How the MSC works
with fisheries, suppliers
and retailers to encouragea more sustainableseafood market

Market demandfor MSC certified
seafoodincreases
Consumers
preferentially purchaseseafood with the blue
MSC label

A traceable supply
chain assuresconsumers that
only seafood froman MSC certified
fishery is sold withthe blue MSC label© MSC / Michael Turner

Oceans matter. The largest ecosystems onearth, they are home to an extraordinary
diversity of life. They provide the oxygen forevery other breath we take, absorb a third of
our carbon emissions, and give us arenewable source of healthy, delicious food.
Around the world, a billion people dependon seafood as their main source of animal
protein. The fishing industry contributes
US$500 billion per year to the global
economy, while around one in 10 people
depends on fishing for their livelihood.

Fisheries which meet
the MSC Standard are
independently certified
as sustainable4

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A summary of the Marine Stewardship Council’s Strategic Plan, 2017-2020

As of January 2017:

The MSC at 20
Over the last 20 years, we’ve proved that thisconcept works: that credible certification ofsustainable fisheries can drive real and lastingchange. There is compelling evidence of tangible
environmental impact on the water, from recoveringfish stocks to reduced bycatch. This in turn improves
food security, livelihood resilience and the longterm profitability of businesses along the seafood
value chain.

More than

300

More than

1200
More than

US$5.2
BILLION
More than

100
More than

25,000More than

3,700© MSC / Jason Thomas

In 1997, overfishing was threatening our oceans,with many important stocks overexploited to thepoint of collapse. The MSC was set up in response,
as a way of recognising and rewarding sustainablefisheries, and providing incentives for others to
improve. Consumers who want sustainable seafoodknow that, when they see the blue MSC ecolabel,the product can be traced back to a fishery that’s
been independently certified as sustainable. And as
market demand grows, it helps incentivise lesswell-managed fisheries to improve theirperformance.

12%of global marine catch is MSC certified, with a further
2% in assessment

fisheries have been certified in 36 countries

improvements made by certified fisheries to becomeor remain certified, with many more being developed

spent by consumers on MSC certified
seafood in 2016

companies have commitments to source MSC
certified seafood

MSC labelled products are available in over
100 countries

MSC Chain of Custody certificate holders covering
40,000 sites in 90 countries.

We’re proud of these achievements, but they are not the MSC’s achievements: they arethose of our partners. While we are a catalyst for change and a showcase for best practiceand innovation, the actual transformation happens through the leadership and actions ofour many partners: fisheries large and small improving practices on the water, traders andprocessors building sustainable supply chains, retailers and brands pioneering market
commitments, marine scientists and NGOs providing expertise and insights, andconsumers choosing sustainable seafood.

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A summary of the Marine Stewardship Council’s Strategic Plan, 2017-2020

Our strategy

VisionOur vision is for the world’s oceans to be teeming with life, andseafood supplies safeguarded for this and future generations.
Over the next three years, we will
accelerate our work withfisheries to support them toachieve and maintaincertification, with the objectiveof increasing the proportion of
the global marine catch that iscertified or engaged in the
programme to 20%. Looking
further ahead, our aim is for the
MSC to remain a leading catalyst
for improved fisheries
management and market
transformation, contributing to
the sustainable use of ouroceans, supporting resilience,food security and livelihoods
well into the future. Our
aspiration is that by 2030, morethan one-third of the global
marine catch will be certified or
engaged with the MSC
programme.
Transformation on this scale will
mean expanding into new areas.

We will focus our outreach on themost important biodiversity
hotspots, species and marine
regions. We will also strengthen
our voice, engagement andaccessibility in the global south– places where the world’s mostimportant biodiversity andfisheries are concentrated, andwhere the challenges for meetingthe sustainability bar set by the
MSC are the greatest.
At the same time, we will be
putting in place theorganisational structures thatwill enable us to grow in scaleand reach over the next three
years and beyond – including
embracing digital technology
and platforms in our data
management, internal
communications and public
engagement.

For the world’s oceans to be teeming with life, and seafood supplies
safeguarded for this and future generations

2030 aspiration
More than a third of global marine catch certified or engaged by 2030.
MSC is a leading catalyst for improved fisheries management and market
transformation, contributing to the sustainable use of our oceans, supporting
resilience, food security and livelihoods

2020 goal
20 per cent of global marine catch comes from MSC certified or engaged
fisheries, supporting productivity and resilience in globally important marine
ecosystems

Recognisingand rewarding
sustainable fisheries
and incentivizing
improvement
globally

Ensuring MSC
certifications arehighly credible andreflect global bestpractice

Cultivatingand expanding
sustainable seafood
markets

Building publicawareness andsupport anddemonstrating
science and impact

Enabling and resourcing a high performing global organisation

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A summary of the Marine Stewardship Council’s Strategic Plan, 2017-2020

In focus: impacts at scale
Engaging 14% of global marine catch in the MSC programme has taken
20 years. Reaching 20% in just three years is a big ask – but urgent andambitious action is what’s needed if we’re to help meet global ocean goals.
Some species and regions are better
represented in the MSC programme
than others. Introducing MSC to a new
species group, market or ocean region
requires engagement, education andtime – but once a critical mass ofcertified products becomes available,
our model starts to create its own
momentum. We’ve seen this happen
for key species such as pollock, cod,salmon, clawed lobster and coldwater prawn, and regions like North
America.
To increase the number of fisheries
working towards the MSC Standard,
we’ll work with fisheries inecosystems that are underrepresented in the MSC programme todate, but where catch levels andthreats to biodiversity are high. We’llalso focus on fisheries and markets
for species currently underrepresented in the MSC programmethat are important components ofglobal ecosystems as well as
important for local economies andlivelihoods, including squid, octopus,
crab, tuna, small pelagic species andseaweed. Building and maintaining
partnerships with collaborators,
including those working with fisheries
making improvements towards
achieving MSC certification, is central
to this work.
Of course, we’ll continue to be open to
all regions and all species, and willcontinue to work with, add value toand celebrate fisheries that are
already MSC certified. A commitment
to sustainable fishing is a continuous
journey. We’ll give particular support
to those preparing for recertification
against the new version of the MSC
Standard (V2.0), so that they candemonstrate long-term progress andcontinue to enjoy the environmental
and socio-economic benefits that flowfrom fishing sustainably.

10 A summary of the Marine Stewardship Council’s Strategic Plan, 2017-2020

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In focus: the global south
Fisheries in the global south are vital to food security, livelihoods andeconomic development – so it’s critical that they are managed sustainably.
Yet many developing countries lack the resources, data and governancesystems they need to meet the MSC Standard and benefit from the growing
market for sustainable seafood. As of April 2017, 28 MSC certified fisheriescame from the global south, representing around a tenth of the total MSC
certified catch volume.
Over the next three years, we will work with governments, partners, fisheries andmarkets to seek to double the number of fisheries from the global south involvedin the MSC programme. Many of our priority marine ecosystems and species are in
the global south. Often, these fisheries need to make significant improvement tomeet the MSC Standard. While that’s a considerable challenge, it means thepotential environmental, social and economic benefits are great.
To enable this, we’ll be investing in:• Outreach programmes to raise awareness of the MSC and build capacity in key
regions, including in North and West Africa, Latin America, India and Indonesia.
We’ll establish strategic global and regional partnerships with governments,
private sector and NGOs to encourage fisheries to put in place theimprovements that they will need to achieve MSC certification, and develop
more projects that work with fisheries on a regional scale• Incentives and tools that will help small-scale fisheries meet the MSC standard,
including tools to enhance market and non-market gains to incentivise
improvement and certification• Capacity building to increase the technical ability of scientists, fishers andgovernment personnel to engage with fisheries making improvements towards
MSC certification, and to increase the number of MSC auditors.

© David Loftus

The MSC will also explore connections with the financial sector, for instancethrough private investment, ‘blue bond’ mechanisms and public-private
partnerships. We will promote financing mechanisms that increase incentives andsupport for fisheries and supply chain businesses in the global south to become
certified, or to source and trade in MSC certified seafood products.

12 A summary of the Marine Stewardship Council’s Strategic Plan, 2017-2020

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Our priorities
Fisheries
Five mutually reinforcing priorities are at the heart of our strategy:

The scale of our engagement withfisheries will need to significantly
increase, and we’ll do this in several
ways:• Working with existing certified
fisheries to help them and theecosystems in which they operatecontinue to benefit from sustainable
management• Engaging with fisheries in ecosystems
that are under-represented in the MSC
programme to date but which are
suffering high biodiversity threats,
particularly those at lower latitudes• Engaging with fisheries targeting
species currently under-represented in
the MSC programme and for which
there is significant international or
local market demand• Increasing our engagement withfisheries in the global south.

Certification
The MSC represents global best practicein sustainable fisheries and supply chain
traceability, while being efficient, credible,
relevant and user-friendly. We’ll maintainour position as the global leader,consistent with international
benchmarking requirements such as
ISEAL and the Global Sustainable Seafood
Initiative (GSSI), by:• Regularly reviewing, and revising asnecessary, the Fisheries Standard andthe Chain of Custody Standard toensure they keep up with global bestpractice and new science andmanagement developments, and areclearly presented and auditable• Introducing risk-based requirements toprovide greater assurance that MSC
certified fisheries and supply chain
companies are free of egregious labour
practices• Developing a programme to support
fisheries on the path to sustainability,and new approaches for assessing
mixed-species fisheries and thosewhere data is limited• Improving the efficiency androbustness of audits against bothstandards, through reviewing our audit
and assessment processes, anddeveloping new digital auditing tools
and enhanced quality control systems
such as the peer review college. All
fishery assessment reports are peerreviewed by independent scientists,
and the college manages the process
and the peer reviewers.

14 A summary of the Marine Stewardship Council’s Strategic Plan, 2017-2020

Markets
Market demand creates an
incentive for fisheries to seek
certification and improve theirpractices. To expand sustainableseafood markets and demand
for the MSC ecolabel, we’ll focuson:• Building demand in markets
that offer the biggest
incentives to reward existing
good practice and drivechanges on the water – thosewhich are both strategicallyimportant and receptive toour vision. These include
European markets, notably
Germany, the UK, France,
Spain and Italy, as well as theUSA, China and Japan• Increasing our outreach indistribution channels whichhave seen a lower uptake ofcertified and labelled
products, such as foodservice
and wet fish counters• Deepening and strengthening
our engagement with key
commercial partners• Creating market demand tosupport our species
strategies, by engaging with
the US food supplement
sector (for small pelagic
fisheries) and the seaweed
sector in China, Japan andSouth Korea.

Public awareness

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Organisation

Our ecolabel depends on a highdegree of awareness and trustfrom the industry and the buying
public. To maintain this support,
we’ll focus on:

As we continue to grow andevolve as an increasingly globalorganisation, we need to remain
nimble, efficient and effective.
This includes:• Building public awarenessand understanding ofsustainable seafood and the
MSC’s contribution throughmarketing campaigns, media
outreach, education,
storytelling and engagementwith MSC ‘ambassadors’• Maintaining a structure
consistent with best practice
governance standards• Showcasing certified fisheries
and sustainable seafood
champions• Upgrading our web and social
media capabilities to ensure
continued relevance, anddeeper relationships, with ouraudiences in a digital world• Demonstrating ourenvironmental, social andeconomic impact byincreasing our research,
upgrading our monitoring andevaluation systems,
stimulating high quality
peer-reviewed publication on
the global impact of the
programme and the sciencebehind our work, and sharing
our data and results widely,
particularly with the ocean
science and policy community
and media.

• Strengthening the
involvement of our
stakeholders in ourorganisation and processes toensure that MSC remains an
open, transparent
organisation keen to listen toa diverse range of views• Stewarding and safeguarding
income streams to maintainour financial resilience• Attracting, developing andretaining exceptional people,
and nurturing our uniqueculture• Putting in place systems,
tools and data to support ourgovernance, compliance andprogramme delivery.

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A summary of the Marine Stewardship Council’s Strategic Plan, 2017-2020

Power of partnership
Our partners are making a significant difference to the health of theworld’s fish stocks and marine ecosystems. From improving harvesting
strategies and monitoring systems, to taking action to reduce bycatch andthe impact on other species, MSC certified fisheries have collectively madehundreds of improvements to their operations. These changes on the water
are reinforced by a fast-growing number of certified businesses in theseafood supply chain, which are bringing more sustainable seafood
products to more consumers in more countries. They also rely on the
involvement of numerous other institutions and stakeholders including
scientific bodies, NGOs, retailers, brands, funders and governments.
While we have much to celebrate, we still have much to do. Over the last 40 years
the number of overexploited stocks assessed by the FAO has trebled. It’s also
likely that the large majority of unassessed fisheries around the world are in
critical need of improvement or recovery – particularly in the global south, where
fishing is so crucial to food security and livelihoods. If we are to respond to theglobal ocean sustainability challenge, urgent action at scale is needed.
The challenge is huge – but so is the potential for transformation. The MSC iscommitted to working with our partners and supporters to scale-up our collective
contribution to conserving our living oceans and supporting the people who
depend upon them – over the next three years, and for years to come.

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All data in this report are correct of 01 May 2017.
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