New statistics revealed show rises in the number of MSC certified fisheries and supply chain organizations, as well as significant growth in the majority of MSC labeled product lines, indicating that demand for sustainable seafood is still rising.
The most commonly used sustainable seafood ecolabel in the world, the Marine Stewardship Council’s (MSC) new statistics are revealed in the organization’s 25th anniversary annual report.
The number of MSC-certified fisheries increased from 499 to 539 between April 2021 and March 2022. Together, these fisheries bring in 15% of all wild marine catch, up from 14% the year before. There are now 5,985 certificate holders working in more than 46,000 locations, which represents a 5% increase in the number of businesses authorized to sell and provide MSC-certified seafood.
The analysis identifies clear indications of recovery in the industries hit hard by the Covid-19 outbreak. The amount of MSC designated products sold in the food-to-go market increased by 39% as a result of the restrictions being lifted. With the introduction of new MSC-labeled products and partnerships, there was also a dramatic growth in North America, southern Europe, Japan, and South Korea.
Sales of MSC-labeled tuna increased by 24% in the previous year, and sales of certified pet food increased by nearly 50% to 95,000 tonnes as more and more companies kept their promises to source only sustainable seafood.
The paper also identifies issues related to the MSC certification being lost for mackerel, atlanto-scandian herring, and blue whiting from the North East Atlantic as a result of governments failing to agree on quotas that were in line with scientific advice. Sales of canned and smoked goods in Europe have been affected by the withdrawal of these fisheries from the MSC program.