The client can be the management agency, a group of interested parties, an association, or an individual company. The certifier and the client then work on the pre-assessment phase. During pre-assessment, the certifier and an expert evaluate the data provided by the client to assess whether a fishery is likely to be able to proceed to full certification. The two-person team looks at the range of management data, the gaps in it, and the issues that might hinder the application. At the end of the process, there is a clear indication of whether it is worthwhile to proceed.
Full certification involves a three-person evaluation team of experts and the certifier.
The team reviews stock assessments, the impact the fishery has on the environment, and the system in place to manage the fishery, and scores all that information against the MSC principles and criteria. This certification is often conditional requiring that certain conditions be met in order not to maintain the designation. Companies request and pay for Chain of Custody certification. It is possible to lose certification if the specific requirements identified in the summary report have not been met within the agreed time frame. Judging from the cost of pre-assessment, BC is likely to be at the higher end of the range.