OF THE

MSC
The MSC at ��.
Wild. Certified. Sustainable.
Annual Report 2016 – 17

MSC Annual Report 2016-17

The MSC at 20

Setting the standard

On the water

Along the chain

Bringing business together

Our funding

Governance2

oceans WILD FOR

20

YEARS

We've been helping keep our

BECAUSE WILD IS IMPORTANT. WILD IS EXCITING.
HELPING TO KEEP OUR OCEANS HEALTHY
AND TEEMING WITH LIFE IS A BIG JOB.

TOGETHER

We’VE been
ENSURING...

our oceans and SEAFOOD LOVERS
are thriving ARE CONTENTTHANKS TO THE FISHERS, RESTAURANTS, PROCESSORS,
BRANDS, SUPERMARKETS AND EVERYONE WHO LOVES

wild, traceable, sustainable

SEAFOOD. FOR TODAY AND FUTURE GENERATIONS.
SO HERE’S TO YOU
AND TO ANOTHER
YEARS

20

AND
BEYOND.

THANKSfor choosing MSC.

Cover image: Courtesy of Alaska Seafood

msc.org

MSC Annual Report 2016-17

The MSC at 20

Setting the standard

On the water

Along the chain

Bringing business together

Our funding

Governance3

Contents
Messages from ourChief Executive and Chair

4

The MSC at ��.
Wild. Certified. Sustainable.

6

MSC and the Sustainable
Development Goals

Lidl steps up international
commitments
37
Italy finds MSC with Findus		Northeast Pacific leadership

22

Continued commitment

24

Fishery firsts

26

Heading South

28

10

Along the chain30

At a glance 2016-17

11

Top 20: MSC Chain of Custody

32

Counting on sustainable fish

39

Setting the standard

12

Focus on hospitality

40

Global impacts

14

Number of products with
the MSC label

33

Spreading the message

41

On the water

16

42

18

34

Marketing highlights

Mapping sustainable fisheries

Olympic gold forsustainable seafood

44

19

35

Our funding and donors

Growth in MSC certified catch

Bringing business together

46

20

36

Governance

Widening the net

Aeon’s ahead
China 111

Pizza first38
Sustainable tuna reaches
New Zealand		

MSC Annual Report 2016-17

The MSC at 20

Setting the standard

On the water

Along the chain

Bringing business together

Our funding

Governance4

A message from ourChief Executive
I have great pleasure in introducing
the MSC’s 20th anniversary Annual
Report. It is hard to believe that two
decades have gone by since the MSC
was created by its two founders,
WWF and Unilever, back in 1997.
It really has been quite an incredible
journey. We have worked through the challenges of launchinga new idea and turning it into a viable mechanism to catalysechange. We have seen the development and periodic
refinement of a rigorous and widely accepted science-based
standard for environmentally responsible and sustainablefishing. From the support of those early pioneer fisheries andseafood businesses who engaged with a new and untested
program, trust and credibility have grown. The MSC program
has evolved into a proven concept.
Sustainable fisheries are being rewarded for their goodstewardship of our ocean resources, consumers are
increasingly able to make sustainable seafood choices andthe way our oceans are fished is changing for the better.
None of this would have been possible without thecommitment and leadership of our partners, the generosity
and support of our funders and the determination and hard
work of our staff and governance bodies. Today more than
400 fisheries around the world, landing nearly 12 million
tonnes of seafood annually, are engaged in the MSC

program. They represent nearly 14% of the global wild marine
catch. The market for certified sustainable and fully traceable
seafood is worth close to US$6 billion annually with 25,000
individual labelled products available in over 100 countries
around the world.
Most importantly, the evidence base that a credible
market- based program can and is driving real and lastingchange is also growing. Over 1,000 improvements havebeen documented and reported in the MSC’s Global
Impacts Reports. These improvements have included
more stable biomass in certified fisheries, reduced
bycatch of unwanted species and other impacts on marine
ecosystems, and improved management through betterscientific understanding.
However, while there is much to celebrate there is also somuch more to do. Our oceans are under enormous pressure.
At a time when the world needs more protein to feed an
expanding population and for marine ecosystems to remain
resilient, they are under increasing threat from the impactsof climate change, acidification and pollution. We only
have a limited window to avoid irreversible damage
and catastrophe.
Encouragingly, the health of our oceans has risen on the
global agenda, not least in the Sustainable Development
Goals. Goal 14 aims to “conserve and sustainably use theoceans, seas and marine resources”, including an ambitious

target to regulate harvesting, end overfishing and IUUfishing, and restore fish stocks as fast as possible. The timeframe – to achieve all this by 2020 – is singularly ambitious.
While there is no silver bullet, we know that credible
market-based programs like the MSC can provide part of thesolution, and I passionately believe we have an importantpart to play. To reflect the scale and urgency of the challenge,
the MSC has set its own ambitious goals: to have 20% of the
global wild fish catch engaged in the MSC program by 2020,
and at least a third by 2030.
That will be an incredible achievement, but we cannot afford
to aim for anything less. The last 20 years have shown us
what we can accomplish when a diverse range of partners
come together to work toward shared goals.
I would like to thank everyone who has contributed to thesuccesses achieved through the MSC over the last 20 years– and I hope that the stories contained here will inspire you
to achieve even more.

Rupert Howes, Chief Executive

MSC Annual Report 2016-17

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A message
from our Chair

Over the first 20 yearsof the MSC, we haveseen a growing
understanding of the
crucial need toconserve our oceans.
Today we see thehope that people
place in organisations like the MSC to dosomething practical towards improving thehealth of the oceans and securing the foodsupplies, livelihoods and economic
opportunities they provide.
The MSC can be very proud of the contribution
it has made over the years. There has beensignificant progress in terms of quantity – inthe number of certified fisheries, the volume
of certified catch, the number of products
bearing the MSC label – but also in terms of
quality, as the MSC Standard has beenstrengthened to take account of advances inmarine science and fisheries management.
We have seen fisheries make significant
improvements in their capacity and ability to
manage not only their target species, but also
the marine ecosystems of which they are part.

Helgi Thor Haraldsson and his brother on board the Von, part of the MSC certified Icelandic cod fishery.
© James Morgan / MSC

As well as being our 20th anniversary, 2017
marks the beginning of our latest StrategicPlan, which sets our direction of travel for the
next three years and beyond. The MSC Board
has been closely involved in setting thisstrategy, drawing on the expertise of our Board
members, our Technical Advisory Board as wellas our Stakeholder Council – between themcomprising representatives from fisheries andindustry, conservation, and science. Their
depth of knowledge and experience of therealities of life on the water give us confidence
that we are moving in the right direction.

As the MSC has grown as an organisation, so
has our ability and our responsibility tocontribute to global efforts on ocean
sustainability. Our strategy includes anambitious goal to bring 20% of all marine
catch into the MSC program by 2020 – but wemust not neglect the other 80%. We know
how successful our market-based solutions
can be in regions where fisheries governanceis strong and where market awareness ofsustainability is high. The challenge now is tostrengthen fisheries management in regions
where this policy environment is weaker –particularly in the Global South – and to build
market demand in regions that are justbeginning to show an interest in sustainableseafood. To enable this, in recent years, wehave added more diversity and geographicbalance to our Board, bringing inrepresentatives from Africa and the Pacificand others with experience from developing
countries – though we recognise the needto go further to reflect our increasingly
diverse clientele.
I would like to take the opportunity to thankall the Board, Technical Advisory Board andStakeholder Council representatives pastand present, as well as the MSC management
and staff, who have contributed so muchto the organisation’s successes over thelast 20 years. And I am confident that, inthe next 20, we can look forward to evengreater achievements.

Werner Kiene,
Chair of MSC Board of Trustees

MSC Annual Report 2016-17

The MSC at 20

Setting the standard

On the water

Along the chain

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6

The MSC at ��.
Wild. Certified. Sustainable.
20 years ago…

… oceans which
had once seemed
inexhaustible wereshowing the strain.
Decades of overfishing
had taken their toll,
and regulations andguidelines designed
to protect fish stocks
and the ocean environment weren’t doing
enough to turn things around. Fisheries
that provided food and jobs for hundredsof millions of people were heading
towards collapse.

OF THEMSC

Growing concern prompted two partners
from very different walks of life to takeaction. Conservation organisation WWF
and consumer goods giant Unilever, thenowner of the Birds Eye and Iglo brands,came together with a shared objective:
to ensure the long-term viability of global
fish populations and the health of themarine ecosystems on which they depend.
Their solution: a market-led mechanismthat would provide economic incentives

for sustainable fishing. Businesses andconsumers would be able to choose seafoodfrom fisheries independently certified
as sustainable, giving other fisheries an
incentive to improve their practices.
On 17 February 1997, the Marine
Stewardship Council was formallyregistered as an independent not-for-profit
organisation. The creation of the MSC gave
direction and momentum to the sustainableseafood movement, and spurred action by awide range of partners. Since then, marine
scientists, NGOs and industry have worked
together to agree a set of principles forsustainable fishing, which reflect guidelines
developed by the Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations.
Fisheries large and small have sought MSC
certification in ever-growing numbers,leading to hundreds of improvements on
the water. Retailers, brands and businesses
throughout the supply chain have madeambitious market commitments. Consumers
increasingly seek out products bearing the
MSC label, knowing it means seafood that iswild and sustainable.

Walter Miranda, deckhand on board the C/P Starbound, part of the MSC certified Alaska pollock fishery. © Mark Meyer

Today…

... over 12% of the world’s marine
wild-caught seafood is MSC certified.
Some 300 fisheries in 34 countries havebeen independently assessed to be fishingsustainably, and have made hundredsof improvements in order to achieve andmaintain certification – contributing tomore abundant and stable fish stocks,
minimising bycatch and impacts onhabitats, improving scientific knowledge
and strengthening management. More than
3,700 certified supply chain businesses
across 42,000 sites ensure their products
can be traced every step of the way fromocean to plate. The blue MSC label is theworld’s most recognised and respectedbadge for sustainable wild-caught seafood:it’s found on close to 25,000 products inover 100 countries.

In the years ahead…

… we’ll step up efforts to conserve ouroceans, support more fisheries to achieve
and maintain certification, and secure
seafood supplies for this and future
generations. Despite the huge progress overthe last 20 years, we still face significant
challenges - not least in the Global South,
where fishing is so vital to food security
and people’s livelihoods.
We’re determined to remain a leading
catalyst for improved fisheries
management, contributing to thesustainable use of our oceans andsupporting resilience, food security andlivelihoods well into the future. Our new
Integrated Strategic Plan sets out how weplan to make this happen over the next
20 years.
We’ll significantly increase the scale ofour engagement with fisheries, focusing
on species and ecosystems that are
currently under-represented in the MSC
program – particularly in the Global South.
As the proportion of certified fisheries
expands, we’ll make sure MSC certification
remains credible and continues to reflectcurrent globally accepted best practice,
while introducing new tools andsystems to make the process more
efficient and user-friendly.

MSC Annual Report 2016-17

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Read our 2017-2020
Strategic Plan

We’ll deepen our engagement with key
commercial partners and build demand forsustainable seafood in markets that offer
the biggest incentives to drive change on
the water – notably in Europe, the US, China
and Japan. And we’ll build public awarenessand support for sustainable seafood
through consumer-facing campaigns, while
deepening our involvement in science andresearch to demonstrate the impact of
MSC certification.
We’ve grown significantly over the last
20 years, from a handful of employees in
London to an international organisation
active in every continent. As we continue
to evolve, we need to remain open,transparent, efficient and effective.
The last 20 years have shown us that
the MSC approach works. We lookforward to working with our partners
and supporters to scale up our collective
impact in the years to come, so thatthe world’s oceans are teeming with life,and seafood supplies safeguarded forthis and future generations.

Vision, ����aspiration and���� goal:
VisionFor the world’s oceans to be teeming withlife, 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 aleading catalyst for improved fisheries
management and market transformation,
contributing to the sustainable use of ouroceans, supporting resilience, foodsecurity and livelihoods

2020 goal
20% of global marine catch comes from
MSC certified or engaged fisheries,
supporting productivity and resilience inglobally important marine ecosystems

The way in which we fish and consume
seafood is increasingly determining thehealth, richness and productivity of theoceans. Over the last two decades, theMSC has pioneered new thinking andhas led important reform in fisheries
around the world, while also raisingconsumers’ awareness and driving
their purchasing decisions towards
sustainability. As the world's leading
seafood certification scheme, the MSC
can draw on the experience of the lasttwo decades, striving for continued
improvement in the standard andincreased coverage of the global
market. This is what the ocean needs inthe next two decades if we want topreserve its health, immense benefits
and the crucial services it provides tothe planet and our society.
Marco Lambertini, Director General, WWF International

The MSC at 20

MSC Annual Report 2016-17
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Setting the standard

On the water

Along the chain

Bringing business together

Our funding

Governance

MSC Annual Report 2016-17 | Section title

8

20 years of the MSC
WWF and Unileverconceive the ideaof the MSC.

92

Collapse of theGrand Banks cod
fishery. Concern
about overfishinggrows amongconservationists
and industry.

95

The MSC Fisheries
Standard is developed,
shaped by 18 months
of international
consultations with morethan 300 scientists,
academics andorganisations.

97

MSC is formallyregistered asa charity at
Companies House,
London.

98

Read a specially commissioned
history of the MSC

The MSC Chain of
Custody Standard islaunched, ensuring
MSC labelled seafood
can be traced back toa sustainable fishery.

00

The first fisheries –Western Australia
rock lobster, Thames
Blackwater herringand Alaska salmon– are certified.
The first labelled
MSC products hit
the shops.

01

UK’s Thames herring fisherybecomes the first to renew
its MSC certificate.

Sainsbury’s commits
to ensuring all wild
fish it sells will
be sourced fromsustainable fisheries.

02

Young’s Bluecrest‘Fish for Life’ Wild
Alaska Salmon
becomes the 100th
MSC labelled
product.

03

Alaska pollock, the world’s
largest whitefish fishery,
achieves MSC certification.

04

05

06

Lidl launches first andlargest private-label
product range with theblue MSC label in Europe.

Mexican Baja
California red rocklobster become thefirst MSC certified
fishery in thedeveloping world.

The world’s largest retailer,
Walmart, announces its
commitment in the US tosource all its fresh andfrozen fish from MSC
certified sources.

The MSC at 20

MSC Annual Report 2016-17

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The MSC at ��. Wild. Certified. Sustainable.

McDonald’s announces
it will serve MSC certified
fish in all its restaurants
across Europe – its US
and Canadian operations
follow in 2013 and 2014.

Dutch retailers announce
that from 2011, all wildcaught seafood at every
food retail chain in the
Netherlands will come from
MSC certified fisheries.

The first MSC
Global Impacts Reportis published showing
400 action plans havebeen delivered bycertified fisheries.

The blue MSC label
appears on Iglo's
entire cod and haddock
fishfinger range.

Japanese retailer Aeon
launches the 1,000th MSC
labelled product.

07

China’s first MSC certified
fishery is the Zoneco scallop
fishery in Zhangzidao.

08

100 fisheries are
now MSC certified
or in assessment.
The Vietnamese
Ben Tre clam
fishery is the firstin Southeast Asia
to receive MSC
certification.

11

12

13

OF THEMSC

IKEA commits to only sellcertified sustainable seafood
to its 650 million visitors in
49 markets.

The MSC becomes thefirst global seafoodcertification to achieve
GSSI recognition for
credibility and rigour.

15

17

14

The Western Australian
government announcesa AUD$14.5 million fundfor MSC assessment.

The Ashtamudi clam
fishery becomes thefirst MSC certified
fishery in India.

Icelandic cod achieves
MSC certification,
setting the way for other
Icelandic fisheries toenter the program.

The MSC updates its
Fisheries and Chainof Custody Standards
to ensure they reflectlatest best practice.

16

55% of all
wild-caught cod,haddock and hake
is MSC certified.
The number of productswith the blue MSC label
reaches 20,000.
MSC certified fisheries
have delivered more than
1,200 improvements.

99

MSC Annual Report 2016-17

The MSC at 20

Setting the standard

On the water

Along the chain

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Governance

10

MSC and theSustainable
Development Goals
Ocean conservation is recognised as aninternational priority in the United Nations
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) –a set of 17 goals agreed by 193 countries that
set the agenda for governments, business anddevelopment agencies between now
and 2030.

providing practical tools to strengthen fisheries
management and indicators to measureprogress. We’re working with governments,
NGOs, scientists and businesses from aroundthe world to plan how SDG14 can be put into
practice, participating in events including the2017 UN Ocean Conference.

The SDGs include a standalone goal (SDG14)
to conserve and sustainably use the oceans,seas and marine resources for sustainable
development. This encompasses an ambitious
target to end overfishing and illegal,
unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing,transform fisheries management
and rebuild stocks by 2020.

Other goals and targets are also highly
relevant to the MSC’s work. Sustainablefishing is vital to food security (SDG2) andto providing decent work and economic
growth (SDG8). By linking seafood lovers
with fisheries and supply chain businesses,
the MSC also plays an important rolein promoting sustainable consumption
and production (SDG12), as well as instrengthening global partnerships forsustainable development (SDG17).

The MSC has a crucial contribution to make bydemonstrating what this looks like in practice,Fishing in The Gambia. © David Loftus

MSC Annual Report 2016-17

The MSC at 20

Setting the standard

On the water

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Governance11

At a glance ���� -��
From sustainable fishers...

49

86

newly
certified
fisheries

fisheries inassessment

315

certified
fisheries in
34 countries

3,735

94

MSC Chainof Custodycertificate
holders

countries

42,320sites with Chainof Custodycertification

24,768730,860

products onsale with theblue MSC label

tonnes of MSC
labelled seafoodbought by
consumers

5.6

US$
bn
spent byconsumers on
seafood with the
MSC label...to seafood lovers

MSC Annual Report 2016-17

The MSC at 20

Setting the standard

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12

Setting the standard
20 years ago...

… there was a growing understandingof sustainable fisheries management,
but its application was inconsistent anddifficult to measure. In 1995, the UN FAO
had developed a Code of Conduct for
Responsible Fishing, which represented
the first global consensus on best practice.
Although most countries had signed up
to the voluntary Code, it was difficult totrack how its recommendations were being
applied on the water.
Following the foundation of the MSC,
meetings were held around the world
where scientists, activists, industry
representatives and policy makers
discussed how to apply fisheries science,
management principles and policy
agreements in practice. In December 1997,
at Airlie House in Warrenton, Virginia,
stakeholders agreed a set of principles
and criteria for sustainable fishing. These
would become the basis for the MSC
Fisheries Standard, which would come todefine sustainable seafood for the next two
decades. At its heart are three principles:• Sustainable fish stocks – fishing activity
must be at a level which ensures it cancontinue indefinitely© iStock/armiblue• Minimising environmental impact –fishing operations must be managed tomaintain the productivity, function anddiversity of the ecosystem• Effective management – the fishery mustcomply with relevant laws and have amanagement system that is responsive
to changing circumstances.
While these principles remain unchanged,
the Standard has been updated andrefined in the years since, with input
from a wide range of stakeholders.
This reflects an evolution in scientificunderstanding and best practice in fisheries
management – particularly around theimportance of managing fisheries not just
as isolated stocks but as part of the wholemarine ecosystem.
Fisheries are assessed to the Standard
by independent certification bodies in acomprehensive and transparent process,where all interested parties have theopportunity to comment. Some fisheries
are obliged to make specific improvements
within a set timeframe in order to maintaintheir certification – and there are annual
audits to make sure they do.

A crucial complement to the MSC Fisheries
Standard is the MSC Chain of CustodyStandard. For any seafood to be sold withthe blue MSC label, every trader, processor
and retailer that handles it along the way
has to have an MSC Chain of Custodycertificate demonstrating that it has
effective tracking systems in place. This
prevents sustainable seafood from being
mixed or swapped with other products,
meaning consumers can be confident thatthe fish on their plate can be traced rightback to a certified sustainable source.

Today…

... the MSC is determined to remain
rigorous, robust and relevant as the world’s
most credible standard in sustainableseafood certification, evolving with andreflecting international best practice. So wewere proud when, in March 2017, we became
the first international seafood certification
scheme to be recognised by the Global
Sustainable Seafood Initiative (GSSI).
A coalition of environmental NGOs,
global businesses, independent experts,
government and intergovernmentalorganisations, the GSSI has developed abenchmarking tool for seafood certification
schemes, based on UN FAO guidelines. It
looks at a scheme’s governance, operational

management, supply chain traceability andauditing, as well as a wide range of otherrelevant issues including deep-sea fishing,vulnerable marine ecosystems and datacollection to demonstrate impact.
According to GSSI Programme Director
Herman Wisse, “The MSC’s successful
completion of the GSSI Benchmark Process
marks a milestone in ensuring confidence inseafood certification.”
The MSC is also the only wild seafoodcertification program to be a full member of
ISEAL, the international alliance for socialand environmental standards schemes. As
ISEAL members, we have to comply with
their highly regarded codes for standard
setting, assurance and impact monitoring.
In an independent survey of 90 consumer
eco-labels in the Netherlands last year,
we were one of 11 labels to receive the
top ranking, based on transparency
and reliability.
MSC staff are regularly involved in scientificresearch, helping to advance understandingon the sustainable management of ouroceans. This year, they contributed to peerreviewed journal articles covering topics
including IUU fishing in the Antarctic¹,

MSC Annual Report 2016-17

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Governance13

potential fisheries production of large
marine ecosystems², new models for
improving population estimates³, thevalue of the MSC’s objections procedure⁴,
and links between stewardship andsustainability goals in South Africa⁵.

In the years ahead…

… the MSC is determined to maintain its
position as the international leader insustainable seafood certification. We’recommitted to periodically reviewing,
and revising as necessary, our Fisheries
and Chain of Custody Standards. This
will include introducing new risk-based
requirements to provide greater assurance
that certified fisheries and supply chain
businesses are free of unacceptablelabour practices.
Meeting the MSC Standard isn’t easy – andthat’s as it should be. But we do want toencourage fisheries that are committed tomeeting it, and are making improvements
in order to do so. We’re developing an “intransition to MSC” program that will offer
fisheries technical and financial support asthey progress towards MSC certification.
We’ll also be looking at new approaches
for assessing mixed species fisheries, andthose where data is limited – especiallysmall-scale fisheries and those in thedeveloping world.

At the same time, we’ll be reviewing our
audit and assessment processes to makesure they are as efficient and robust as
possible. That will include developing new
digital auditing tools, and improving quality
control by establishing a formal peer review
college of independent scientists to review
fishery assessment reports.
The MSC is also working with the
Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) todevelop a joint standard for seaweed, to bereleased in October 2017. Some 25 million
tonnes of seaweed with an estimated valueof US$5.65 billion are harvested annually,and demand is increasing. Seaweed plays
an important role in marine ecosystems; ourjoint standard aims to reward responsible
harvesting and culture, and set abenchmark for improvement.
1 Longo, C. et al 2017. Using the Ocean Health Index to
identify opportunities and challenges to improving Southern
Ocean ecosystem health. Frontiers in Marine Science, 4:20.
2 Fogarty, M.J., et al 2016. Fishery production potentialof large marine ecosystems: A prototype analysis.
Environmental Development, 17(1): 211-219.
3 Anderson, S.C., et al 2017. Improving estimates of
population status and trend with superensemble models.
Fish and Fisheries, 18(4): 732–741.
4 Brown, S., et al 2016. On the road to fisheriescertification: The value of the Objections Procedure inachieving the MSC sustainability standard. Fisheries
Research, 182: 136-148.
5 Barendse, J., et al 2016. A broader view of stewardshipto achieve conservation and sustainability goals in South
Africa. South African Journal of Science, 112:5-6.

Fourteen years of data from
northern Europe shows that
MSC certified fisheries now
target more abundant fishstocks at a more sustainablefishing rate than they did before certification.
By contrast, uncertified stocks in Europe
show much greater variability in terms ofbiomass and fishing effort, with the averagefishing effort remaining too high to ensure
productive fish stocks.
Dr David Agnew, MSC Science and Standards Director

MSC Annual Report 2016-17

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Global impacts
To make sure the MSC really drives positivechange in the oceans, we regularly monitor
and report on our impact. Since 2011,
we’ve published an annual Global Impacts
Report, showing the improvements thatcertified fisheries have made.

New research project to survey benthic habitats in Greenland. © ZSL

Read the MSC Global
Impacts Report 2017

Globally, 31.4% of fish stocks are
considered overfished – though this is
likely to be a considerable underestimate
as many more have not been formallyassessed. But data presented in our Global
Impacts Report 2017 shows that thosetargeted by MSC certified fisheries arebeing maintained at sustainable levels– which isn’t always the case for noncertified stocks in the same region. In
many cases the biomass has increased in
the years following MSC certification.
Some 94% of MSC certified fisheries
have been required to make at least
one improvement in order to maintaincertification. Since 2000, certified
fisheries have made 1,238 improvements
to strengthen or better monitor thesustainability of their practices. These
include changes in fishing gear to reduce
bycatch, closing certain areas off tofishing, improvements in monitoring andstronger management measures.
Conditions of certification have also led
to new research projects, which havehelped to advance marine conservationand fisheries science. For example, when
the Greenland cold water prawn fisheryfirst entered MSC assessment in 2008,
little was known about the seabed habitats
where the fishery operated. Sustainable
Fisheries Greenland (SFG) approached
the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) to
study and map these benthic habitats.
By lowering cameras off the side of thesurvey vessel used to conduct the fishery’s
annual stock assessments, they captured
high-resolution images down to depths of
hundreds of metres.
The research, which has so far led to the
publication of three scientific papers,
revealed new information about thesehabitats and the hundreds of organisms
living in them. In response, SFG began
trialling innovative bycatch mitigation
measures, and has worked to designate amarine protected area that will safeguard
important coral and sponge species. Since
achieving MSC certification in 2013, SFG
has continued its partnership with ZSL,
and is funding a PhD project to identify
possible vulnerable marine ecosystems.
“Although the skippers were initially
sceptical about the work of the scientists,
extensive collaboration between thetwo parties has seen that attitudechange,” says Peder Munk Pedersen from
Sustainable Fisheries Greenland. “Now,our skippers compete with one anotherto provide the scientists with information
about any new or interesting findings.
Along with the certification itself, this has
been a very valuable side-benefit of the
MSC assessment process.”

MSC Annual Report 2016-17

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Setting the standard

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Over the past few years, we have
implemented a number of strategies tominimise the environmental impacts ofour fishery. MSC certification provided
independent recognition of these efforts
and helped us to identify ways in which
we can improve our bycatch monitoringand mitigation efforts further still.
Mike Park, Chief Executive, Scottish White Fish Producers
Association Limited

Some

��%
of MSC certified fisheries
have been required tomake at least one
improvement in order tomaintain certification“

The way that MSC certification works
around a principle of continuous
improvement is for me what makes it so
special versus other certification schemesthat may be yes/no tick boxes. What MSC
does is provide meaningful data that gives
you a point of reference to improve on.
Judith Batchelar, Director of Sainsbury's Brand”

Pall Hreinn Polsson, fisherman with Visir, part of the MSC certified Icelandic cod fishery. © James Morgan / MSC

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On the water
20 years ago…

... there was no internationally recognisedmeans for a fishery to show that it was
operating sustainably. MSC certification
filled that gap, providing market recognition
for fisheries that were making efforts
to conserve fish stocks and themarine environment.
For even the best-performing fisheries,
MSC certification requires a significant
effort. An already heavily regulated industry
needed to be persuaded that this newvoluntary scheme was worth their while.
MSC staff met with fisheries organisations,
governments, research organisations andenvironmental groups to drum up support.
In March 2000, the first two fisheries
successfully completed their assessment
to achieve MSC certification: Western
Australia rock lobster and Thames herring.
The iconic Alaska salmon fishery followed
later that year.
Progress was slow but steady. In 2001,
New Zealand hoki became the first largescale whitefish fishery to become certified.
Mexico’s Baja California red rock lobster
became the first certified fishery in thedeveloping world in 2004, closely followedby South Africa’s hake trawl fishery.
The certification the following year of
the Alaskan pollock fishery – the world’s
largest whitefish fishery – was a watershed
moment. It led to a significant increase in
the supply of MSC certified seafood. As
the quantity of products bearing the blue
MSC label grew, more fisheries considered
MSC certification.

Today…

… over 12% of the wild fish caught from theworld’s oceans is MSC certified – a totalof more than 9 million tonnes of seafood.
More than 300 fisheries in 34 countries are
certified to the MSC Fisheries Standard,with another 86 in assessment. Many havedemonstrated their long-term commitment
to sustainability by being successfullyrecertified after their initial five-year
certificate – some more than once. Thesecertified fisheries are operating in a waythat ensures fish populations will remain
healthy and productive for generations
to come.
For a number of key species, MSC
certification is becoming the norm: morethan 70% of the global wild catch of clawed
lobster, cold water prawn and whitefish
is certified or in assessment, along withmore than 40% of flatfish and salmon.
Several types of tuna, bivalve shellfish
and small pelagic species are approaching
the 20% mark. Our experience has shown
that, once a critical mass of fisheries
targeting a particular species or operating
in a particular region becomes certified,
momentum builds and others follow.
We’re aware, though, that we haven’t yetachieved our full potential to catalysechange in the oceans. While MSC
certification has increased in temperate
and high latitudes, there are relatively few
certified fisheries in the tropics, and some
important marine ecosystems contain no
certified fisheries at all. The large majorityof certified fisheries are in developed
countries – but the need to improve
fisheries management to support food andlivelihood security in the developing world
has never been greater.

In the years ahead…

... we’ll accelerate our work with fisheries
to support them to achieve and maintaincertification. To achieve our goal of having

20% of marine catch in the MSC programby 2020, we need to increase our outreachwork with fisheries – particularly where our
influence is currently limited. We’ll workwith fisheries in ocean areas (or “large
marine ecosystems”) that are underrepresented in the MSC program to date,
but where catch levels and threats to marine
biodiversity are high. That will include aparticular focus on fisheries in developing
countries and emerging economies: while
many of these will need to make significant
improvements to achieve MSC certification,
the potential environmental, social andeconomic benefits of doing so are huge.
We’ll also focus on fisheries currently
under-represented in the MSC program thatplay an important role in global or local
ecosystems, economies and livelihoods.
These include squid, octopus, crab, tuna,small pelagic species and seaweed.
Of course, we’ll continue to be open to all
regions and all species. And we’ll continue
to work with, add value to and celebrate
fisheries that are already MSC certified andcommitted to continuous improvement.

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More than��%Read the story: Riding the crest of the
wave: Western Australia rock lobsterof the global wild catchof clawed lobster, cold
water prawn andwhitefish is certified
or in assessment

Seventeen years ago, a bunch ofpeople got together and saw MSC
certification as a mechanism for
future-proofing our fishery. Really,
they were ahead of their time. We owe
our success to those guys who knewthat one day this was going to be
crucial, not only for the market
benefits, but for our social licenceto operate.
James Paratore, Lobster Fisher, Western Australia

Western Australia rock lobster fishermen. © Matt Watson / MSC

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Mapping sustainable fisheries
Proportion of large marine ecosystem (LME) catch that is MSC certified, 2006-2016
0%

0-25%

25-50%

50-75%

75-100%2006

There are MSC certified fisheries in��of the 66 LMEs developedby NOAA��%
More than

Newfoundland-Labrador
Shelf

Iceland Shelf
and Sea

Norwegian Sea

of catch is MSC certified
in 15 LMEs

Barents Sea

Sea of Okhotsk

2016

Scotian
Shelf
Gulf of Alaska
North Sea

California Current

Data correct as of 28 February 2016

Canadian Eastern
Arctic-West
GreenlandSoutheast
Australian Shelf

North Australian
Shelf

MSC certified catch increased��%or more in the 12 LMEs identified on
the map between 2006-2016

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Growth in MSC certified
catch ���� -���.�million
tonnes of MSC
certified seafoodVolume of MSC certified catch (tonnes)

��%10,000,000

86

315

8,000,000

of global marine catchis MSC certified

fisheries inassessment

certified
fisheries*�%

6,000,000

of global marine catch
is from fisheries in MSC
assessment

4,000,000

2,000,000

0

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

Data correct as of 31 March for each year
* Includes 17 fisheries for which MSC certification is currently suspended

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

��

countries with MSC
certified fisheries

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20

Widening the net
From tsunami to sashimi

Roughy ride to sustainability

Twenty years ago, the idea that New Zealand’sorange roughy fisheries could be sustainable
would have been treated with derision.
Overfishing during the 80s and 90s had led
to a steep fall in population sizes of this longlived bottom-dwelling fish.
Over the last two decades, the seafoodindustry and the New Zealand government
have made deliberate moves to rebuild
stocks of this highly prized, succulent fish.
These range from new research and fibreoptic video feeds to enable scientists tobetter understand population dynamics, tomajor cuts in the allowable catch. Today New
Zealand fisheries catch around 4% of theadult orange roughy population, or around6,000-7,000 tonnes per year – compared tosome 50,000 tonnes in the 1980s.
Robert Trumble of certification body MRAG
Americas undertook the orange roughyassessment. “It was very gratifying todemonstrate that prior serious problems
do not prevent a fishery from overcoming
them," he explains. "We had the opportunity
to explain to the world how one of themost hated fisheries had made substantial
improvements and that it has now been
independently assessed to meet MSC’s strict
sustainability standard.”
The New Zealand orange roughy fisheriescertified in December 2016 represent morethan 60% of the country’s total orange roughycatch. The other orange roughy fisheriesalso have plans underway to meet the
MSC Standard. Over 70% of New Zealand's
total deepwater catch now receives market
recognition for bearing the blue MSC label.

Read the story. Orange roughy:
The extraordinary turnaround

Danish pelagics

Almost nine-tenths of Denmark’s wild-fish
catch is now MSC certified following thecertification of a large fishery targeting small
pelagic species – sandeel, sprat and Norway
pout. These small species play a critical role inthe marine food chain, and their populations
can fluctuate significantly according to natural
cycles. The fishery, managed between theDanish Fishermen Producers Organisation(DFPO) and the Danish Pelagic Producers
Organisation (DPPO), has put in place strict
science-based measures to ensure harvest
rates don’t threaten the target species’ stocks
or the other fish, birds and mammals that
depend on them.
The catch from the fishery is made into
fishmeal and fish oil, which is used as feed
for farmed salmon and trout. Its certification
increases the total volume of MSC certified
catch of small pelagic species used in fish
feed by more than one-fifth. Demonstratingthat feed comes from sustainable sources
is one of the criteria for fish farms seeking
ASC certification.
“With the current rapid global growthin aquaculture, it is paramount that its
environmental footprint is sustainable,”says Sofie Smedegaard Mathiesen,
Sustainability Manager at DFPO. “By having
our large reduction fisheries MSC certified,
we contribute our part to this, and we raise
the bar – not only for our colleagues in otherreduction fisheries around the world, but also
for the producers of land-based ingredientsfor aquaculture feeds.”

Five years after the earthquake and tsunami
devastated eastern Japan, a tuna fishery has
become a symbol of recovery. Meiho Fishery
Inc. was founded in the quake-hit city of
Shiogama in the aftermath of the disaster –and now it’s become only the third fishery inJapan to receive MSC certification.
Meiho uses selective pole-and-line fishing tocatch around 3,000 tonnes of skipjack andalbacore tuna. Tuna is a particularly importantfish in the Japanese market – not only is it
eaten in sashimi, but skipjack is also a crucial
ingredient in soup stocks.
“My experience of the earthquake mademe realise that delivering sustainableseafood to the market is inevitable for the
future and this belief inspired me to start
this sustainable fishery,” says Meiho’s
CEO Kenji Matsunaga. “I’m delighted that
our fishery is certified by the MSC, andits parent company Meiho Co. Ltd. hasgained MSC Chain of Custody certification
for all the seafood it processes from thisfishery. My next agenda is to promote oursustainable skipjack and albacore tuna in
the Japanese market.”Read the story. Meiho: tunafishing after the tsunami

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49
new fisheries achieved
MSC certification in thepast year, and a further
86 are in full assessment

Fisheries that meet the MSC Standard have theindependent science and peer-reviewed evidence-based
reports to demonstrate their sustainability.
We should not get stuck in the past. We want fisheries toimprove and we should recognise them when they do.
Positive change means productive, healthy oceans.
Pat Caleo, Asia-Pacific Director, MSC

Sorting skipjack at the MSC certified Meiho tuna fishery. © MSC/Nobuyuki Aoki

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Northeast Pacific leadership
When it comes to sustainable seafood,nowhere can match the Northeast Pacificfishing area. An amazing 80% of theregion’s total catch is now MSC certified,
representing 2.5 million tonnes of seafood
a year – enough to provide a meal for every
man, woman and child on Earth.
Salmon, albacore tuna, pink shrimp, hake,
halibut, sablefish, Pacific cod, flatfish, west
coast rockfish and Alaska pollock are justsome of the certified species caught in theregion, which covers the waters of Northern
California, Oregon, Washington, British
Columbia, the Gulf of Alaska and theBering Sea.
Many of these fisheries have shown
long-term commitment to sustainability. A
prime example is the Alaska pollock fishery– certified for a third time in 2016 – which
has been the largest fishery in the MSC
program since it was first certified in 2005.

Today, Alaska pollock is found in products
like McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish in the US,
BirdsEye Omega 3 Fish Fingers in Europe,
Trident’s value added line and surimi inJapan, with offcuts processed into fishmeal
and oil.
Another iconic fish from the region issalmon. Back in 2000, Alaska salmon
became only the third fishery in the world
to achieve MSC certification – and 2017brought new milestones, thanks to theongoing commitment of the government
and industry in Alaska. The area aroundPrince William Sound was recertified
following a multi-year study to review the
impacts of hatcheries on wild salmon
populations. The small-scale Metlakatla
Indian Community’s Annette Islands fishery– the first MSC certified fishery to be wholly
managed and operated by a tribal
community – was also recertified in 2017,
now covering all five salmon species.

The C/P Starbound. Part of the MSC certified Alaska pollock fishery © Mark Meyer

Meanwhile the British Columbia salmon
fishery was also recertified this year – thefirst salmon fishery to be assessed entirely
to our revised Fisheries Standard. Following
improvements made by the industry over
the years, the certification now covers all
sockeye, chum and pink salmon.

��%of wild catch in the Northeast
Pacific is MSC certified

Read the story. Alaska pollock
fishing: it runs in the family

Meet three Alaska
pollock fishers

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Fishermen on the Pacific Coast of the
US and Canada are proud to berecognized by the MSC for their
responsible stewardship of a renewable
food resource for our countries and theworld. We look forward to the day whenmost of the world’s fisheries can meet
the MSC Standard.
Christina Burridge, Executive Director, B.C. Seafood
Alliance and Chair, International Association of
Sustainable Fisheries”

Looking over the deck of the C/P Starbound. © Mark Meyer

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Continued commitment
Every five years, fisheries need toreapply for MSC certification and undergo
a new assessment. Recertification
confirms that a fishery is still operating
sustainably, and has successfully madeany improvements that were required at
its previous assessment.

Green light for whitefish

Supplies of sustainable cod on fivecontinents were secured with therecertification of the Barents Sea cod,haddock and saithe fishery, one of theworld’s most important cod stocks.
The fishery, jointly managed by Norway
and Russia, supplies more than 20
countries worldwide. Its original
certification in 2010 came with a number ofconditions, all of which have beensuccessfully completed. Improvements
have included testing new lower impact
gear and measures to reduce bycatch andminimise impacts on seabed habitats.
Ocean Trawlers, the company that sells thefish, is committed to further decreasing its
impact on habitats and vulnerable marine
ecosystems (VMEs), and introducing lessdamaging, more fuel efficient trawl gear.

No squeeze on sardines

The decision to certify
this fishery with noconditions and several
clear recommendations
is based on ourcommitments to decrease
the impact of the fisheryon vulnerable habitats
and vulnerable marine
ecosystems in general.
We expect that further
implementation of themeasures to protect
VMEs will strengthen
the sustainability of
our fishery in future.
Sergey Sennikov, Chief Sustainability
Officer, Ocean Trawlers

Often the certification of one fisheryencourages another to seek certification,with added benefits to a wider group offishers and ecosystems. The sardine fishery
off the south of Brittany, France, was first
MSC certified in 2010 – but with stocks
flourishing, Spain began to develop its own
sardine fishery in the Bay of Biscay. To
maintain MSC certification, the French
fishers needed to collaborate with their
Spanish counterparts to agree a set of joint
management measures. Working together,
they agreed to establish limits on catches
and to support the collection and sharing of
scientific data with the objective of building
a common management plan. In January
2017, the French fishery was recertified andthe Spanish one certified for the first time.

This collaboration was catalysed by
the MSC process, and ensures sardine
stocks in the Bay of Biscay willcontinue to thrive.
Camiel Derichs, MSC Regional Director Europe

Brittany sardine fishery. © MSC / Margaux Favret

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In brief
Argentine anchovy
In 2011, Argentina netted the world’s first
MSC certification for anchovies. Back then,the certificate covered two companies
operating five vessels which caught around
10-15% of the stock. In January 2017, thefishery was recertified – and this time
13 companies and 24 vessels were involved.

As the first MSC certified anchovy
fishery in the world, we are proud tohave the MSC process again validate
the sustainability of our wellmanaged and healthy fisheries.

Canada Scotia-Fundy haddock

Carlos Rodriguez, Manager, Centauro

Canada’s haddock fishery, which operates
around the Southern Scotian Shelf, the Bayof Fundy and Georges Bank, was recertified
last year after successful efforts to rebuild
the stock, while reducing impacts on codand other species. Stock biomass in thetwo haddock stocks is at or near the largest
ever recorded.
US halibut and sablefish
The US halibut fishery in the Bering Sea off
Alaska and the Pacific waters off Washington
state was recertified for the second time. As
well as maintaining healthy halibut stocks,
the fishery has reduced accidental albatross
deaths by 85%. Also in the North Pacific, thesablefish fishery passed its second
reassessment, confirming its healthy stocklevels and careful management.

Our customers are demanding
MSC certification in order to
respond to consumers. We havebeen supporters of the MSC in
order to allow us to focus on otheraspects of our business.
Alain d'Entremont, Chief Operating Officer,
Scotia Harvest Inc.

Lofoten, northwest Norway. © Ulf Berglund

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Fishery firsts
Clamming up

Clams are one of the most popular seafood
species in the US. Now, with thecertification of the Atlantic surfclam andocean quahog fishery, they can bear the
MSC ecolabel for the first time.
Surfclams and quahogs are harvested off
the east coast of the US, from the Delmarva
peninsula in the south to Georges Bank off
Massachusetts in the north. The total catchof the two species is worth more than
US$40 million annually.
The certification process was supported byseveral seafood processors, including
Bumble Bee Seafoods, Sea Watch
International, Lamonica Fine Foods,
Atlantic Capes Fisheries Inc, and Surfside
Foods LLC.
“Our customers and consumers care aboutsustainability and want to contribute tohealthy ocean ecosystems by enjoying
sustainably harvested surfclams andquahogs now, and in the future, and we dotoo,” says Mike Kraft, Vice President of
Sustainability, Bumble Bee Seafoods.

Finnish first

There are currently no MSC certified
fisheries in Finland – but that could soonchange dramatically, with the Finnish
Fishermen’s Association’s Baltic herringand sprat fishery entering into full
assessment last year. Landing around
132,000 tonnes of herring and around12,000 tonnes of sprat, the fisherymakes up about 90% of Finland’s total
marine catch.
Both species are used for fishmeal and oil
as feed in the aquaculture industry, as well
as for local consumption and in dietary
supplements. If certification is successful,it could drive further commitment tosustainable fishing in the Baltic and otherreduction fisheries.
“Baltic herring and sprat are extremely
important species for the Finnish fisheries
sector and we are very happy that the first
Finnish fishery is entering MSC
assessment,” says Kim Jordas, CEO,
Finnish Fishermen’s Association. “Werecognise the importance of sustainablefishing and ensuring that this resource isavailable for future generations. We havealso noticed that the fish oil and fishmeal
industry in particular is increasingly
demanding certified and sustainably
sourced raw materials.”

One and only abalone

The Western Australia abalone fishery
has become the first of its kind to achieve
MSC certification. Prized for its tasty flesh,abalone supports a multimillion-dollar
trade between Australia and China, Japanand South-East Asia.
The certification covers three species of
abalone – greenlip, brownlip and Roe’s.
Divers collect the sea snails by hand inshallow waters, using “hookah” (surfacesupplied breathing apparatus).
Around half the fishery’s product isexported, primarily to Asia. “MSC certified
seafood is a well-recognised standard
within Asia as it offers traceability, which
is important to our Asian and domestic
customers,” says Peter Rickerby, Chairman
and Interim EO of the Abalone Industry
Association WA. “The MSC certification
provides assurance based on sciencethat our fishery is sustainable andwell managed.”

Neil Wackett, Abalone fisher in Western Australia.
© Jason Thomas / MSC

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Read the story.
Looking after 'Bluey'

Fishing for “bluey” – the blue swimmer
crab – is a popular pastime in Western
Australia. Every year, some 50,000–
100,000 people go crabbing in the Peel
Inlet and Harvey Estuary, catching around
100 tonnes of blue swimmer crabs. Aroundthe same volume is caught and sold locallyby commercial fishermen in small boats.
Some families have been fishing theestuary for generations.

Strict regulations are in place to ensure
neither commercial nor recreational
activities threaten the sustainability of
the crab stocks or the ecosystem. These
include specially designed traps withescape panels for small crabs and otherspecies, limits on catches and the numberof licences and traps, and seasonal
closures.

Crab certification mixes
business with pleasure
Now, the Peel-Harvey blue swimmer crab
fishery has been independently assessed
as sustainable – the first time a combinedcommercial and recreational fishery has
been MSC certified. It follows years ofcollaboration between the local
fishermen’s association and RecFishWest,which represents the state’s 740,000
recreational fishers.

“

The certification also covers mullet caught
by commercial fishers. It’s the third fishery
to be certified after the state government
pledged AU$14.5m to support third-party
certification for Western Australia’s 50
fisheries.

“

We want to see a very healthy fishery for generations
to come, whether it be from a business perspective,
for enjoyment by recreational fishermen, or both.
We understand we need to be in this together.
Dr Andrew Rowland, Chief Executive, RecFishWest”

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Heading South
Fishing is vital for the food security andlivelihoods of hundreds of millions ofpeople in the Global South. As well as
providing a vital source of protein,
fisheries have huge economic importance:
in 2014, fisheries exports from developing
countries were valued at US$80 billion,
higher than all other food commodities
combined.

We run outreach programs to raiseawareness of the MSC and build capacity
in key regions and countries, including in
Africa, Latin America, India and Indonesia.
We've also developed a risk-based
framework that provides an alternative
way of assessing the sustainability offisheries that don’t have the quantitative
data used in our usual assessments.

Ensuring these fisheries are wellmanaged and sustainable couldn’t be
more important – and achieving MSC
certification could provide new market
opportunities. But meeting the MSC
Standard is a tough challenge: thesefisheries may be unable to afford thecost of assessment, lack the data theyneed to calculate stock levels, operate
in areas where governance is weak, or
simply be unaware of the benefits of
MSC certification.

In 2015, we launched a new toolkit,
Working towards MSC certification – acomprehensive guide for those working
with fisheries making improvements toachieve sustainability. Since then we’ve
trained almost 140 people involved infisheries improvement projects acrossseven developing countries, and a further
60 fisheries experts in Europe and the US,
to use the tool to identify and track
improvements in sustainability.

As of April 2017, 28 MSC certified fisheries
were based in the Global South, making up
about a tenth of the total volume of MSC
certified seafood catch. We’re working hard
to change this: our ambition is to double
the number of fisheries from the Global
South engaged in the program over the
next three years.

Fishermen mend nets in The Gambia. © David Loftus

We’re now in the process of developing an“in transition to MSC” program that will
provide fisheries with technical andfinancial support as they progress
towards MSC certification.
Together these tools are building capacity
and helping developing world fisheries on
their journey to sustainability.

Watch a film about the MSC'swork in the developing world

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Chile double

Suriname seabob

Suriname’s seabob fishery was the first
tropical shrimp fishery in the world toachieve MSC certification. It was
successfully recertified last year, validating
the improvements made over the last five
years and enabling the South American
nation to continue supplying certified
shrimp to high-value European markets.
The fishery was one of the first to beassessed using the MSC's risk-based
framework. It has since done a lot to collectfurther information on stock levels andimpacts on other species. To maintain its
MSC certification, the fishery took steps
to reduce bycatch by refining the escapepanels in its nets, and collected detailed
data confirming that no vulnerable species
were regularly caught as bycatch.
It also funded research into impacts
on seabed habitats.

Thanks to theenthusiastic
collaboration of fishers,
government andindustry, the Suriname
seabob fisherysuccessfully overcame
many challenges on
its path to certification.
We hope that the
improvements it madeand the benefits we are
now seeing will inspire
fisheries in countries
similar to Suriname
to work towards MSC
certification.
Dirk-Jan Parlevliet, CEO of shrimp
processor Heiploeg© Natalie Steins / MSC

Read the story. Suriname seabob:the power of partnerships

Two Chilean fisheries achieved MSC
certification last year. Both target squat
lobsters – a type of crustacean that is partof the lobster family but smaller in size
compared to other lobster species – with
one also catching nylon shrimp. Squat
lobsters are mainly exported to the US,
where they are usually sold as"langostino" or "baby lobster", while theshrimps are mostly quick-frozen andexported to the US and Europe.
Both fisheries have made significant
improvements over recent years tomaintain stocks. These include annual
seasonal closures, catch quotas, and new,more selective trawl gear.

Fish for Good

Lottery players in the Netherlands arecontributing to food and livelihood security
and marine conservation in Indonesia,
Mexico and South Africa through a new
four-year project funded by the Dutch
Postcode Lottery. The €1.75m Fish forGood project will map fisheries in these
key emerging economies and carry out
basic assessments of their sustainability.
Following this pre-assessment process, anumber of fisheries will be benchmarked
and improvement action plans developedwith the aim of achieving MSC certification.

Indian Ocean octopus

African coastal communities havefished for octopus in the Indian Ocean
for centuries – it’s both eaten locallyand exported to Europe and elsewhere.
In partnership with the African Union
Interafrican Bureau for Animal Resources
and marine conservation NGO Blue
Ventures, we’ve launched a project tomap octopus fisheries in the region.
We will benchmark fisheries against
the MSC Standard, then identify
opportunities to support fisheries
improvement projects (FIPs) in
Madagascar, Kenya, Tanzania, Zanzibar,
Mozambique, Rodrigues and Comoros.
Blue Ventures is already involved in a FIP
with an artisanal octopus fishery in
Madagascar which is working towards MSC
certification. Innovations have included
community-led management as part of a
network of locally managed marine areas,
temporary closures that have boosted
productivity, and a smartphone app fordata collection.

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Along the chain

20 years ago…

... consumers who wanted sustainableseafood faced a tough task. Concerned
seafood consumers might choose to avoid
particular species, or try to find out where
their fish came from – but getting hold of
reliable information wasn’t easy. And while
retailers, restaurants and brands mightmake claims about sustainability, there
was little way to independently verify what
they said.
This was a concern for businesses inthe seafood supply chain too. With NGO
campaigns increasingly highlighting issues
around seafood sustainability, somecompanies were recognising that providing
traceable, sustainable seafood could reduce
potential risks to their reputation – andcould even give them a market advantage.
More fundamentally, securing fish stocks forthe future was essential to their long-termbusiness viability.

The MSC provided a solution. Our Chainof Custody system meant businesses allalong the value chain could be sure theseafood they were buying came from alegal, well-managed fishery that could
continue to provide a reliable supply inthe future. And the distinctive blue fishlabel gave consumers instant assurance
that this was fish they could choosewith a clear conscience.

on board. Migros and Coop in Switzerland,Metro, Lidl and Iglo in Germany, andSainsbury’s in the UK were among the firstto commit to sourcing sustainable seafood.
As the MSC’s profile in the marketplacegrew, so did the incentive for fisheries
and supply chain businesses to become
certified; and as supply grew, the market
grew further.

Today…

The very first MSC labelled seafood –Western Australian rock lobster – went
on sale at Whole Foods Market in the US
in 2000. But progress in the early days
was slow: it would be two years before
the number of MSC labelled products
passed 100. With limited supply of certified
seafood, there was a limited market; andwith a limited market, there was little
incentive to increase supply.

... the global market for MSC certified seafood
is worth more than US$5 billion annually.
By 31 March 2017, there were 24,768 MSC
labelled products available in 101 countries –an increase of 2500% over the last decade. A
total of 108 species from certified sustainablefisheries were included in those products.
Along with frozen, canned and fresh fish
products, the MSC label can be found on
everything from pet food to pizza.

But this vicious circle became a virtuous
one as retailers and brands began to comeHundreds of businesses are involvedin bringing these certified products tomarket – from the packers and processors,
through to retailers, restaurants andcatering companies, and even cruise ships
and airlines. Last year, the number ofChain of Custody certificate holders was
3,735, spread across more than 42,000
sites in 94 countries.
Chain of Custody certification means that,while studies suggest that as much as
30% of seafood sold globally isn’t what it
says it is (Pardo et al, 2016), mislabellingof MSC products is extremely rare. DNA
tests consistently confirm this. In 2016,
for example, a study in the UK and Ireland
revealed that fish-and-chip shops without
an MSC certificate were four times more
likely to serve the wrong species to theircustomers than certified shops. Just one of
the 61 MSC certified chippies was found to
be serving haddock instead of cod whereas
five of the 61 nearby non-certified shops
served the wrong species.

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Find out how DNA testing helps
to ensure traceable, sustainable seafood
More and more businesses are signalling
their commitment to sustainability bysourcing MSC certified seafood: at least
77 major retailers, 14 brands and 17
food-service companies have made publicpledges to source MSC certified seafood.
Surveys from different countries show that
more than a third of shoppers recognise
the blue MSC label, though awareness incountries like Germany is even higher.

In the years ahead…

… we’ll continue to build market demand
for sustainable seafood. Over the next
three years, we’ll focus on building
demand in markets that offer the biggest
incentives to drive change in the ocean
and reward the fisheries and companies
that are committed to sustainability.
Strategically important countries include
European markets, notably Germany, theUK, France, Spain and Italy, as well as theUSA, China and Japan.

We’ll deepen our engagement with key
commercial partners, but also reach out
to areas where uptake of MSC labelled
products has been slower – including fresh
fish counters and the food-service sector.
We’ll also be doing more than ever toconnect with seafood lovers around theworld, increasing public awareness andunderstanding of sustainable seafood
and the MSC’s contribution. Throughmarketing campaigns and education,
through sharing data and telling stories,
by working with MSC "ambassadors" andcommercial partners, we aim to showcase
the achievements of certified fisheries,celebrate sustainable seafood champions,and encourage everyone to play their part inensuring healthy oceans for tomorrow.

© Mark Meyerttps://thumb1.shutterstock.com/display_pic_with_logo/87457/231504040/stock-vector-world-map-countries-231504040.jpg
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Top 20: MSC Chain of Custody

Find a supplier

Number of Chain of Custody certificate holders per country
���

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NorwayUK���

SwedenIceland���
Canada���
Denmark

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Netherlands

RussianFederation

Poland

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USA

��

��

Switzerland

Belgium

��
Italy

���
France������Germany

���

���
China

Japan

Spain

��

Vietnam��

Australia���certificate holders in therest of the world

3,735
certificate holders comparedto 3,217 in 2015-16

��,���
certified sites compared to35,950 in 2015-16

��countries where companies
have MSC Chain of Custody

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Number of products with the MSC label
Number of MSC labelled products available around the world

25000

1,079

2,387

4,723

7,640

10,964

14,78916,28318,14921,085

Find a product with the MSC label

24,703Market uptake ofseafood with the
MSC label started inEuropean countries where
consumers were receptive toenvironmental issues.
Today the blue fish label
can be found in all major
economies. In addition tofrozen, fresh and canned
seafood it appears on
nutraceuticals, pet food,fish meal and maybe sooneven wild pearls.

Austria
20000

Belgium
CanadaDenmark
Finland

15000

FranceGermany
Netherlands
Sweden

10000

Switzerland
United Kingdom
United States

5000

Rest of the world

Nicolas Guichoux, Global
Commercial Director, MSC
0

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

��,�68 ���,8��
*

products on sale withthe blue MSC label

tonnes of seafood sold to consumers
with the MSC label

up from 20,492 on 31 March 2016

up from around 660,000 tonnes in 2015-16

2014

2015

2016

2017

�.�bn

EstimatedUS$**spent by consumers on seafood
with the MSC label*Number of products definedas the global sum of products
available in individual countries(Stock Keeping Units, or SKUs)**Retail market value ofconsumer-facing MSC ecolabelled
products, calculated by adding
a global average 40% retailmark-up to wholesale values.

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Olympic gold forsustainable seafood
More than 70 tonnes of sustainable seafood– equivalent to more than 350,000 portions– was served to athletes and media at lastyear’s Olympic and Paralympic Games. A
record amount of wild-caught fish on themenu within the Olympic Village was MSC
certified, with farmed fish coming fromfarms certified by the ASC.

One popular item on the menu was Bolinhosde Bacalhau – salted cod croquettes, a
traditional Brazilian speciality. The cod inquestion came from an MSC certified fisheryin Iceland, and was supplied by Visir, an
MSC certified family business. One of Visir’s
fishers featured on posters promoting theblue MSC label in canteens and restaurants.

Seafood with the blue MSC label was
introduced at the London 2012 Games, andthe organising committee were keen tobuild on this legacy. But with little certified
seafood available in Brazil, meeting thiscommitment was an Olympian effort.
Numerous fisheries, farms and supply
chain businesses across the region took
steps to improve their performance to meet
the MSC and ASC standards. The state of
Rio responded by entering five fisheries
into the MSC program. McDonald’s served
100% MSC certified Argentine hoki in its
McFish sandwiches throughout Brazil during
the Games, further raising awareness ofsustainable seafood in the country.
Looking ahead, we’re excited to besupporting the supply of MSC certified
seafood to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic andParalympic Games. We hope that theircommitment to sustainable seafood will act
as a catalyst for sustainable fishing in theregion. We’re already seeing interest fromJapanese fisheries and suppliers hoping to
get certified in time for the Games.

Read the story. Iceland: An Olympic
effort in sustainable fishing

The Olympic andParalympic Games are
unique in their ability
to bridge cultural
divides, reach a broad
audience and generatea sense of fellowshipand possibility. We hopethat this commitment
will have a lasting
legacy of sustainablesourcing and seafood
consumption in Brazil.
Julie Duffus, Sustainability
Manager at the Rio 2016
Organising Committee for the
Olympic and Paralympic Games

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Bringing businesses together
Over the last two decades, the MSC
has participated in efforts to getbusinesses to come together to findsustainability solutions and take action
for our oceans. Last year brought somepowerful multi-sector initiatives…

Arctic freeze

Responding to pressure from NGOs, acoalition of fishers, supported by seafoodbuyers and suppliers, reached an historic
agreement to put a freeze on fishing
expansion in a thawing Arctic. As the
Arctic warms and ice melts, new fishinggrounds are becoming accessible – butthere are fears that vulnerable marine
ecosystems could be damaged by bottom
trawling. The agreement, which brings
together the Norwegian and Russian
fishing fleets, puts the brakes on the
expansion of bottom trawling north of
the 76th parallel. It requires seabedmapping to identify sensitive habitats
before any new area is opened up forfishing. McDonald’s and British retailers
Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Marks & Spencer
joined seafood suppliers Espersen,
Findus and Young’s Seafood and fishingorganisations from Norway and Russia
to sign the voluntary agreement. All
the companies involved are strongly
committed to MSC certified seafood. The
agreement is also part of the fisheries’
preparations for reassessment under MSC
Standard version 2.0, starting in 2019.

Tuna traceability

Over the last few years, retailers,
processors and fisheries have beenworking with the MSC to make the tunaindustry more sustainable. And we’vebeen working with the World Economic
Forum to encourage members to sign
the Tuna 2020 Traceability Declaration,committing to increase sourcing ofcertified sustainable tuna. At the UN
World Ocean Conference in June 2017, 50
leading companies signed the Declaration.

Keystone commitment

Eight of the world’s largest seafoodbusinesses issued a 10-point plan of action
on ocean sustainability following the first"keystone dialogue" between scientists andbusiness leaders. The inaugural dialogue
took place in the Maldives in November
2016 and the MSC was honoured to join as
one of four invited advisors. Participatingcompanies committed to improving
transparency and traceability and reducing
IUU fishing in their supply chains. Other
priorities included action on antibiotic use
in aquaculture, greenhouse-gas emissions
and plastic pollution, as well as eliminating
modern slavery and child labour.
To put their commitments into practice, thecompanies created a new initiative, SeafoodBusiness for Ocean Stewardship. This willbuild links between wild capture fisheries
and aquaculture, European, North Americanand Asian companies, and seafoodbusinesses and science.

The keystone dialogues are the brainchildof scientists at the Stockholm ResilienceCentre. Just as keystone species play a
critical role in ecosystems, a handful oflarge businesses have a disproportionate
influence on ocean health. The companies
involved in the initiative include Japanese
seafood giants Maruha Nichiro, Nippon
Suisan Kaisha and Kyokuyo, two of thelargest tuna companies in the world (ThaiUnion Group and Dongwon Industries),
the two largest salmon farmers (Marine
Harvest ASA and Cermaq), the twolargest aquafeed companies (Skretting –subsidiary of Nutreco, and Cargill Aqua
Nutrition), as well as the agro-industrial
conglomerate Charoen Pokphand Foods.

© Manuel Díaz de RGB Photosocial

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Aeon’s ahead
Japan is one of the world’s largest fishconsumers, but awareness and concern
for seafood sustainability is relatively
limited. Retailers have a big contribution
to make in increasing understanding anddriving improvements in the oceans, andfor the last decade Aeon has beenleading the way.
The country’s largest supermarket chain
introduced its first MSC certified productin 2006, and now sells nearly 40 products
across 18 species. New products on the
shelves last year included mackerel,launched through a joint marketing
campaign with the MSC, and a popular

China 111
surimi-based product called chikuwa.
Aeon also launched MSC labelled skipjackfrom Meiho Co. Ltd, the country’s firstcertified tuna fishery. Around 50 stores
now contain a special section displaying
only certified seafood products.
Now Aeon has committed to further
increasing the volume of certified seafood
it sells: its goal for 2020 is for 15% ofseafood sales by volume to come from
MSC certified fisheries or ASC certified
farms. The company has been actively
promoting MSC certified products to
consumers, and introducing the MSC
concept to its fishery suppliers.

On 11/11, Tmall launched the 111th MSC
labelled product – Icelandic golden redfish– in China to coincide with Double 11
festival. This annual celebration for single
people has become the world’s biggest
online shopping day: an incredible 7.4 billion
mobile interactions were recorded on Tmall.
com and Taobao during the Countdown Gala
Celebration that aired in the hours leading
up to Double 11’s midnight.
The online retailer has been actively
promoting sustainable seafood to Chinese
consumers throughout the year throughjoint marketing campaigns with the MSC.
Tmall, owned by e-commerce giant Alibaba,
has more than 466 million active buyers.

““

Kahori Miyake, Executive Officer CSR & Communication, AEON Co. Ltd

Peng Yue, Senior Marketing Manager, Tmall.com

Aeon actively works to procure sustainable seafood
products in order to help protect marine resources
and to hand down to future generations our
traditional culture surrounding food sources from thewater and sea. Selling MSC certified products is an
important part of this effort.

”

Tmall.com has a sustainable seafoodsourcing strategy and is eager toincrease cooperation with the global
seafood industry to supply
international MSC certified products
to the Chinese market.

© iStock/thesomegirl”

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Lidl steps up international
commitments
Lidl has long been a leading retailer of
MSC products, with 100% of its regularown-brand fresh and frozen wild seafoodin Germany bearing the MSC label. And
now it’s set to extend its range in markets
where consumers may be less familiar
with the MSC label. All Lidl's country
operations have now made commitments
to sustainable seafood.
In Portugal, for example, Lidl now sells
100% MSC certified cod – a big step in acountry where salted cod or bacalhau is anational dish. In Spain, Lidl was the firstcompany to offer MSC in its stores in2008. Today, a quarter of its own-label
seafood bears the MSC label, and it aims
to have 35% of its fresh and frozen fish
MSC or ASC certified by the end of 2017.
The retailer also announced that its US
stores, which started to open in June 2017,
will stock only MSC certified fresh andfrozen wild seafood, along with farmed
seafood certified by the ASC or Best
Aquaculture Practices (BAP).

Italy boosts MSC with Findus
Compared to other European markets,
Italy has been slow to embrace the MSC
concept. But that’s changing thanks tolocal frozen food leader Findus, which lastyear launched the MSC ecolabel with theintroduction of 27 MSC certified products.
Together they account for more than 80%of the brand’s total wild-caught fishvolume, including the iconic Capitan
Findus fish fingers.

The good news is that this means that aquarter of all frozen fish sold in Italy is now
MSC certified. Findus is fully committed tousing MSC certified wild-caught fish and isactively collaborating with the MSC totransform the Italian fish market into asustainable one.
Findus is part of Nomad Foods Europe,
which also includes the Iglo and Birds Eyebrands, and has been a long-time
supporter of the MSC.

““

Judith Kontny, International Corporate Social Responsibility Manager, Lidl

Francesco Fattori, Managing Director, Findus Italy

We want to make sure that the products we sell
are available in the long term and this is why their
origins are so important.

”

I am extremely proud of this achievement
and I believe it will be a stimulus for thewhole seafood supply chain.

”© FindusMSC Annual Report 2016-17

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Pizza firstFinland’s largest pizza chain sells over 8
million pizzas a year, with around 1.5
million containing seafood – either
skipjack tuna caught by pole and line in
the Maldives, or sustainably harvested
prawn from Norway’s North East Arctic.
To mark this achievement, Kotipizza
launched a major marketing campaign
including ads on national TV, which isestimated to have reached almost
three-quarters of Finns aged 15 to 54.

Tommi Tervanen, CEO of
Kotipizza explains the meritof the MSC label© Kotipizza

Peter Hardstaff, Head of Campaigns, WWF-New Zealand“

Our customers increasingly want to know where theirfood comes from and how it is produced. The blue MSC
label is a point of pride for us: it is an independent
proof that we only serve our customers seafood fromcertified sustainable sources. Our mission is to makethe world a better place, one pizza at a time. We’re
proud to be contributing to healthy oceans and actively
supporting the livelihoods of stakeholders.
Tommi Tervanen, CEO, Kotipizza GroupAs a result of the collaborative effort by WWF, MSC andJohn West, New Zealanders now have the choice to buycans of clearly labelled Pacifical MSC certified,sustainably caught tuna in supermarkets for the firsttime. This is a major step forward for sustainablefishing in the Pacific, where the tuna is sourced,
thanks to the leadership of John West New Zealand.

”

Kiwi consumers can enjoy certified
sustainable canned tuna for the first time,
following a three-year effort by John West
New Zealand in collaboration with WWF
and the MSC.
Cans of skipjack tuna with the blue MSC
label are now available in supermarkets
across the country. John West New
Zealand’s range comes from the world’s
largest sustainable purse seine fishery,
Pacifical, controlled by the eight Pacificisland nations that make up the PNA(Parties to the Nauru Agreement).

© John West

Kotipizza has become the world’s first pizza
chain – and the first restaurant chain in
Finland – to achieve full MSC Chain of
Custody certification. All fish and seafood
served in its 267 restaurants can be traced
back to MSC certified sustainable fisheries.

Sustainable tuna reaches
New Zealand

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Counting on sustainable fish
The blue MSC label is a common sight onfrozen, canned and pre-packaged seafood
products in supermarkets across Europe– but uptake on those stores’ fresh fishcounters has been slower. That’s beginningto change though, and last year saw two
major retailers achieve MSC Chain of
Custody certification, meaning the fresh fishon their counters can be traced all the way
back to a certified sustainable fishery.
Tesco, the largest retailer in the UK, has
introduced the blue label to its 656
fishmonger’s counters across the country,
making MSC certified seafood more visible

than ever. It has 22 certified choices in its
fresh range – the most in the UK – including
Atlantic cod and Cornish sardines.
Meanwhile in Spain, supermarket
cooperative Eroski became the first retailchain to achieve MSC certification. Aroundhalf of its 700 fresh fish counters are now
selling cod, Cantabrian anchovy andalbacore tuna with the blue MSC label.
Eroski plans to progressively introduce
new species and have all its fresh fishcounters certified by 2020, when it expects
sales of fish with the MSC label to reach2 million kilos.

“

Customers tell us it’s important they can be sure thefish on our shelves is caught in a way that maintains
healthy fish stocks and doesn’t cause harm to other sea
life or the ocean environment. Rapidly expanding theamount of MSC ecolabel fish on our shelves andcounters will help to make sustainably sourced fish
affordable and accessible for shoppers across Britain.
Giles Bolton, Responsible Sourcing Director, Tesco”

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Focus on hospitality
The MSC label is becoming an increasingly
common sight in restaurants – and thisyear saw hundreds of hotels in different
countries add the blue tick to their menus.
In the UK, Premier Inn became the world’s
largest MSC certified national hotel chain,bringing seafood with the blue MSC label
to a total of 635 locations. It means an
extra three million certified sustainableportions of fish and chips will be served
annually across the UK.

Premier Inn restaurant brands include
Beefeater, Brewer’s Fayre and Table Table.
Certified sustainable species appearing on
menus include prawns, pollock, haddock,whiting and cod.
Meanwhile in Scandinavia, leading hotel
group Nordic Choice has achieved MSC
certification for all its hotels acrossSweden and Norway.

In 2015 Yasuragi, a Nordic Choice spa andconference hotel near Stockholm, became
the first hotel in Scandinavia to achieve
MSC certification. Now its commitment has
been extended to nearly 200 hotels,
including the Clarion Hotel, Quality Hoteland Comfort Hotel brands, along with anumber of independent hotels.
The Chain of Custody certification means
the blue MSC ecolabel can be used on“

It is becoming ever more important for the hospitality industry tooperate a sustainable, traceable supply chain. Our customers expect
us to do the right thing, so we are immensely proud to have achieved
MSC certification for our restaurant brands.
Whitbread is committed to sourcing products responsibly and wehope this will be a landmark step in helping set standards across theindustry. The MSC’s certification and ecolabelling program enables
everybody to play a part in securing a healthy future for our oceans.
James Pitcher, Director of Sustainability for Whitbread, owner of Premier Inns”

menus, as can the ASC logo for responsibly
farmed seafood.
The MSC label can be found on hotel
menus in Asia too. Two years after Hilton
Singapore became the first MSC certified
hotel, Chinese hotel chain Shangri La
announced that eight of its hotels will beapplying for Chain of Custody certification.

“

For us, choosing responsibly is the
only way forward. If we want to serve
seafood in the future, we must let our
restaurants offer the best options there
are for our oceans now: MSC and ASC.
This gives our guests the chance tocontribute to sustainable fishingand responsible aquaculture.
Catherine Dehli, Sustainability Director, Nordic Choice Hotels”

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Spreading the message
Visit our campaign website tomeet the Wild Ones and findout about Keep it Wild
initiatives around the world

Watch the film. This is wild...

Educating consumers and increasing
public understanding of sustainablefishing is a vital part of our mission. We
want consumers to understand why
sustainable seafood matters, and how
they can support it in their everyday lives
by choosing the blue MSC label. This
consumer support is at the heart ofbuilding the market demand that drives
change on the water.
Our biennial consumer survey tells us thatsustainability is important to seafood
consumers. So it’s important that we
become a more effective consumer-facingorganisation, appealing not just to
people’s heads, but to their hearts. Whileconsumers have always been afundamental link in our theory of change,
we believe we can do more to win theirtrust, engage and inspire them – and our
20th birthday offers a great opportunity
to do so.
During 2017-18, for the first time ever all
MSC regions will be running joint
marketing activities with a shared andconsistent message: ‘Keep it Wild –choose the blue fish’. This global
campaign aims to make MSC more
relevant and appealing to a larger
constituency. We’re bringing it to life
through an evocative short film, toolkits

to support joint marketing activities with
our partners, recipes, and our ‘Wild Ones’– feature stories about the people who’ve
made MSC what it is today.
At the heart of our campaign isstorytelling. We’ve been producing stories
celebrating the efforts of fishers and otherpartners, which we’re sharing throughsocial media and other digital channels.
Stories give sustainability a human face,enabling consumers to engage with thepeople behind sustainable seafood.

They go beyond the numbers and thescience to help people understand why
our work matters.
We’ll also be intensifying our work with
MSC ambassadors – influential ocean
advocates from award-winning chefs andchampion surfers to nature photographersand inspirational fishers, who are
passionate about sustainability andseafood. Their support will help raiseawareness of what we do and extend ourreach to new audiences.

“

In a world where people increasingly care about where
their food comes from, the MSC label makes it easy to
select sustainable seafood you can trust. Through our
campaigns and storytelling, we’re helping consumers
connect the deep blue oceans and conservation to theirlives and plates. Sustainable choices only become
relevant when consumers make this link.
Sarah Bladen, Global Communications and Marketing Director, MSC”

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Marketing highlights© David Loftus

Seafood to YouTube

Dutch chef Bart van Olphen has taken
up the role of our first official global
ambassador. A long-time champion of the
MSC, Bart travels the world in search of
the finest certified sustainable seafood– and the stories of the people who catch
it. These are showcased in his weekly
cooking show on Jamie Oliver’s FoodTube
channel – the biggest cooking channel on
the internet. Bart’s Fish Tales have racked
up hundreds of thousands of views, andhis channel has a cult following of almost
50,000 subscribers.

Meet Wild One Bart van Olphen© Lidl / Emli Bendixen

Lidl Surprises

Lidl showcased its MSC certified Scottish
mussels as part of a major UK advertising
campaign. The ad took a real-life sceptic
called Chris – who had questioned theprovenance of Lidl’s seafood on social
media – to meet Douglas, one of thesupermarket’s MSC certified mussel
farmers on the Isle of Mull. The ad ran
across TV, cinema, press, radio, anddigital and social media.

Watch Lidl's TV advert

Sustainable Seafood Day

Sustainable Seafood Day on March 31 has
become an annual fixture in Australia. This
year, our campaign included a “choose
the blue” cook-off between celebrity chefs
and MSC advocates Andy Allen and Scott
Gooding, in a video watched more than
35,000 times. A team of judges awarded
the victory to Andy for his chargrilled Skull
Island tiger prawns with chilli and garlic oil
and seared yellowfin tuna salad. Throughmedia coverage, social media posts andevents, our message reached an estimated
8.9 million people.

Watch the celebrity
chef challenge

From ocean to table in Denmark

In September, MSC Denmark ran a joint
marketing campaign that reached morethan a million people – or one in five
Danes. Our campaign encompassed acinema and YouTube advert, posters on
the Metro and nationwide advertising
spaces, in-store leaflets, social media
posts and an event at the annual fish day
in Copenhagen’s Town Hall Square withchildren’s TV star Sebastian Klein. Partners
supporting the campaign were retailers
Lidl, Coop and Aldi, the Danish Fishermen
Producer Organisation, fishing company
Royal Greenland, and the Danish
national aquarium.

Watch the ocean to table film(in Danish)

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France’s first Responsible
Fish Week

In France, we joined forces with WWF and
the ASC for a week-long event to raise
consumer awareness of sustainableseafood – the first of its kind in the country.
We were joined by 20 committed partners,
including retailers, seafood brands andcatering companies as well as certified
fisheries, aquaria and others. Activities
ranged from a conference at the Maison
des Océans and an exhibition of photos ofsustainable fisheries at the Paris aquarium
to in-store leaflets and digital media
campaigns, including an online video which
was viewed more than 85,000 times.

Find out more about Responsible
Fish Week (in French)

Making the news in Sweden

Our fourth national joint marketing
campaign in Sweden, in partnership with
14 retailers, brands and restaurants,
helped to further increase awareness of
the MSC label. In Stockholm, one in fivepeople recalled seeing MSC adverts fromthe campaign – and said they were more
likely to seek out MSC labelled seafood.
Awareness of the MSC rose from 57% lastyear to 64% this year. One highlight was
Swedish Masterchef winner Sandra Mastio
cooking MSC certified fish on the
TV morning news.

Spreading the word in Canada

We’ve been working with chefs, media andbloggers to spread the word about certified
sustainable seafood in Canada. One
highlight was the launch of three Oceans
and one Gold Seal MSC certified canned
products to an audience of 24 media in
Toronto. We also sponsored a preserved fish
battle between five Toronto-based chefs
at the Drake Hotel in front of more than
100 guests and held an intimate dinner inMontreal to introduce the MSC program to aselect handful of food bloggers.

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Our funding
and donors
Over its 20-year history, the MSC has always been extremely
grateful for the generous support from its donors – and 2016-17
has been no exception as we continue to receive vital support
from our valued funders. Without their help, the MSC would not beable to achieve its long-term mission of ensuring oceans teemingwith life. Our donors understand this and share our vision: theirfunding underpins our efforts to strengthen the reach and impactof the MSC program globally.
We would like to highlight in particular the long-term contributionof our three largest donors – the David and Lucile Packard
Foundation, the Dutch Postcode Lottery and the Walton Family
Foundation. Their continuing unrestricted support has been
essential to driving our success.
In addition, the generous support of our project funders enables
us to collaborate with many partners and stakeholders around theworld to deliver the impacts described in this report.
A project grant from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation
enabled us last year to increase our capacity significantly inJapan. We were delighted to be awarded an additional project
grant by the Dutch Postcode Lottery to undertake a global project
which will see us deliver pre-assessment programs in Mexico,
Indonesia and South Africa. We are similarly grateful to AdessiumFoundation for funding work in Mediterranean France and Spain,
and to the German development agency GIZ for projects in South
Africa and Mozambique.

We would like to thank the following
organisations for their support:
US Foundations

Other European Foundations

Holzer Family Foundation

Adessium Foundation (Netherlands)

Herbert W. Hoover Foundation

BalticSea2020 (Sweden)

National Fish and Wildlife Foundation

Daniel and Nina Carasso Foundation (France)

New Venture Fund

DEG (German Investment andDevelopment Corporation)David and Lucile Packard Foundation
Remmer Family Foundation

Dutch Postcode Lottery

Skoll Foundation

GIZ (German Society for International
Development)

Triad Foundation

Nessling Foundation (Finland)

Walton Family Foundation

Oak Foundation (Switzerland)
Statutory European Fisheries Fund (Finland)

UK Trusts and Foundations
AG Leventis Foundation

Corporate

Cecil Pilkington Charitable Trust

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Ocean FundSwire Charitable Trust

Haikui Seafood (China)
Findus (Sweden)

NGOs
Resources Legacy Fund / Sustainable
Fisheries FundWWF-Sweden

MSC Annual Report 2016-17

The MSC at 20

Setting the standard

On the water

Along the chain

Bringing business together

Our funding

Governance45

Our finances ���� -��
Report by the Trustees on thesummarised financial statements
Total
incomeTotal
expenditure£19,942,284£17,498,381

Where the money comes from
21% Donations and legacies
2%

Other trading activities

76% Income from charitable activities (logo licensing)1%

Income from investments

Where the money goes to
25% Policy and maintenance of standard
31% Education and awareness	36% Commercial and fisheries servicing
and outreach6%

The summarised financial information is extracted from the fullstatutory trustees’ annual report and financial statements whichwere approved by the trustees and signed on their behalf on 27 July
2017. An unqualified audit report was issued in relation to the fullstatutory trustees’ annual report and financial statements by our
auditors Crowe Clark Whitehill LLP on 4 August 2017.
The auditors have confirmed to the trustees that, in their opinion,
the summarised financial information is consistent with the full
financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2017. Thissummarised financial information may not contain sufficient
information to gain a complete understanding of the financial affairsof the charity. The full statutory trustees’ report, financial statements
and auditors’ report may be obtained in writing from Finance Director,
Marine Stewardship Council, 1 Snow Hill, London, EC1A 2DH,
United Kingdom.
Signed, on behalf of the Trustees:

Logo licensing

2%	Expenditure on raising funds

Total funds at 31 March 2017: £24,892,780
Compared with total funds of £21,234,196 on 31 March 2016.
Other gains and losses in the year not shown under income or expenditure amounted to a gain of £1,214,681

Werner Kiene,
Chair, MSC Board of Trustees
4 August 2017

MSC Annual Report 2016-17

The MSC at 20

Setting the standard

On the water

Along the chain

Bringing business together

Our funding

Governance46

Governance ���� -��

Our governance structure

The MSC Board of Trustees

The Technical Advisory Board

The MSC Board of Trustees is the MSC’s governing body. With advice from the TechnicalAdvisory Board and Stakeholder Council, it sets the strategic direction of the MSC,
monitors progress and ensures the MSC meets its objectives.

The Technical Advisory Board advises the MSC Board of Trustees on technical andscientific matters relating to the MSC Standards, including developing methodologies forcertification and accreditation and reviewing the progress of fisheries certifications.

Dr Werner Kiene – Chair

Mr David Mureithi

Mr Jeff Davis – Chair of MSCIMr Eric Barratt

Dr Christopher Zimmermann(Germany) – Chair

Dr Chris Zimmermann – Chair of the TechnicalAdvisory Board

Mr Jean-Jacques Maguire

Mr Peter Trott – Stakeholder Council Co-Chair
Ms Lynne HaleMr Paul Uys
Mr Felix Ratheb
Mr Jim Leape

Dr Keith Sainsbury (Australia)
Dr Tony Smith (Australia)
Mr Adam Swan (UK)
Ms Lucia Mayer Massaroth (Germany)
Mr Stephen Parry (UK)Dr Tim Essington (USA)Dr Victor Restrepo (USA)Mr Alex Olsen (Denmark)Dr K Sunil Mohamed (India)
Dr Simon Jennings (UK)Dr Juan Carlos Seijo (Mexico)
Dr Florian Baumann (Germany)
Ms Michèle Stark (Switzerland)

Thank you to departing members:

Welcome to our new members:

Thank you to departing members:

Mr Jonathan Jacobsen and Ms Monique Barbut

Ms Michèle Stark and Dr Florian Baumann

Ms Edith Lam (Australia)

The Marine Stewardship Council International Board
The Marine Stewardship Council International (MSCI) Board provides oversight of the
MSC’s ecolabel licensing and fee structure.
Mr Jeff Davis – MSCI Chair
Dr Werner Kiene – Board of Trustees Chair
Mr Eric Barratt
Mr Paul Uys
Mr Rupert Howes – MSC Chief Executive

Welcome to our new members:
Mr Eric Barratt and Mr Paul Uys

MSC Annual Report 2016-17

The MSC at 20

Setting the standard

On the water

Along the chain

Bringing business together

Our funding

Governance

47

The MSC Stakeholder Council
The Stakeholder Council provided the MSC Board with advice, guidance andrecommendations about the operations of the MSC from a variety of perspectives,
locations and interests. Members were divided into two categories: public interest
and commercial/socio-economic. Following an independent governance review, inJune 2017, the MSC Board of Trustees agreed to disestablish the MSC Stakeholder
Council. In its place, the new MSC Stakeholder Advisory Council will comprise
17 members including representatives from the seafood industry, conservation
community, market sector and academia. It will provide advice to the Board andinput into the MSC’s review processes which is representative of a wide range ofviews and opinions.

Thanks TO all our staff
Your passion and dedication has
been at the heart of the MSC’s
success over the last 20 years

Public interest category:

Mr Peter Trott, Co-Chair – FishListic

Ms Meghan Jeans – New England
Aquarium, US

Commercial andsocio-economic category:Prof Eyiwunmi Falaye – University of
Ibadan, Nigeria

Mr Rory Crawford – Birdlife International/
RSPB, UK

Ms Christine Penney
Co-Chair – Clearwater Seafoods, Canada

Ms Nancy Gitonga – FishAfrica, Kenya

Dr Patrick McConney – University ofWest Indies, Barbados

Ms Christina Burridge – BC Seafood
Alliance, Canada

Prof Yvonne Sadovy – University ofHong Kong, Hong Kong

Mr Jim Gilmore – At-sea Processors
Association, US

Dr Gaku Ishimura – Iwate University, JapanDr John Goodlad – Shetland Catch

Ms Jennifer Kemmerly – Monterey Bay
Aquarium, US

Ms Annie Jarrett – Pro-Fish Pty Ltd,
Australia and Australian fishing industry

Dr Yorgos Stratoudakis – IPIMAR, Portugal

Mr Moises Mug – Fish for the Next
Generation/Costa Rican Sport Fishing
Foundation, Costa Rica

Mr Jens Peter Klausen – J.P. Klausen & Co.
A/S, Denmark

Dr Abdul Ghofar – University of
Diponegoro, Indonesia

Dr Marco Quesada – Conservation
International, Costa Rica

Dr Alasdair Harris – Blue Ventures,
Madagascar

Dr Frédéric le Manach – Bloom
Association, France

Dr Martin Hall – Inter-American Tropical
Tuna Commission
Mr Eddie Hegerl – Marine Ecosystem
Policy Advisors P/L, Australia
Dr Patricia Majluf – Oceana, Peru
Dr Dierk Peters – WWF / Unilever
Mr Alfred Schumm – WWF

Mr Guy Leyland – Western Australia
Fishing Industry Council Inc
Mr Mike Mitchell – Youngs Bluecrest, UK
Mr Simon Rilatt – Espersen
Ms Libby Woodhatch – Seafood Scotland, UK

OF THEMSC

Mr Eduardo Gonzalez-Lemmi – San Arawa
Mr Ivan Lopez – Pesquera Ancora SL, Spain
Mr George Clement – Deepwater Group,
New ZealandMs Stefanie Moreland – Trident
Seafoods, US
Mr Johann Augustyn – South African
Deep Sea Trawling Industry Association,
South Africa

Thank you to our departing Council
members:
The MSC would like to thank all previous
members of the Stakeholder Council,
which has now been disbanded, for their
input and commitment, some over many
years. Their support and involvement has
been crucial to the ongoing success andevolution of the MSC, and we are gratefulfor their invaluable contribution.

MSC Annual Report 2016-17

The MSC at 20

Setting the standard

On the water

Along the chain

Bringing business together

Our funding

GovernanceContact us
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All data in this report is correct as of 31 March 2017, unless otherwise stated.
The reporting year is 1 April 2016 to 31 March 2017.

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