The Marine Stewardship Council: A multi‐stakeholder approach to sustainable fishing

Established by WWF and Unilever in 1997, the Marine Stewardship Council is an example of a successful NGO–business partnership, independent since 1999. At a time when awareness of the general public on environmental issues and particularly overfishing is increasing, it offers an eco‐labelling programme designed to reward sustainable and well managed fisheries with a visible environmental endorsement. The MSC is the only international fisheries organization working to provide a market‐based incentive, encouraging consumers to make the best environmental choice in seafood, by setting a standard against which independent accredited certification bodies assess fisheries. It devotes time and attention to bringing a broad spectrum of stakeholders to the table, maintaining dialogue with all sectors. As more fisheries engage in the certification process, valuable lessons have been learnt on the importance of stakeholder input. Market leading supermarkets recognize that consumers expect retailers to make responsible purchasing decisions as part of their corporate social responsibility. As a key part of this they have become supporters of the MSC, enabling it to achieve the market exposure it requires to highlight the issue of overfishing and the need to ensure the sustainability of fish stocks around the world. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.