The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) is an international non-profit organisation that was founded in 1997 and issues a hallmark for sustainably caught fish species. Consumers can identify MSC certified products by the blue MSC hallmark.
The MSC standard for sustainable fishing has been set up for this purpose. The standard was brought about in a wide-ranging international process lasting two years, in which experts from science, environmental organisations and the fishing industry together defined the MSC standard for sustainable fishing. The MSC environmental standard for sustainable fishing is rooted in the code of conduct for responsible fishing as formulated by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO, 1995).
The three key principles of the MSC standard for sustainable fishing are:
- The condition of the fish, crustacean and shellfish stocks must be maintained at health levels.
- The impact of fishery on the ecosystem must be and remain limited.
- Fishery management must be properly organised, demonstrably complied with and verified.
The fishery is certified if it meets the criteria. Companies wishing to use the MSC hallmark on their products then have to obtain a chain management certificate to guarantee that the certified fish can be traced.
If the procedure is successfully completed the certificate is awarded for a three-year period, with inspections carried out at least once a year.
Merema Transport has been a certified MSC fish transporter since 2010 in order to guarantee the traceability chain for our clients.
