| Rupert Howes writes: I have always had a passionate interest in the world around us, the environment and what has now come to be called 'the sustainable development agenda'. Through the influence of conservationists such as David Attenborough and David Bellamy I was determined from an early age to do all I could to make the world a better and more 'sustainable' place.My economics training and general pragmatism and desire to focus onbuilding partnerships and delivering solutions has convinced me that we have to work with the grain of the market if we are ever to shift our economic systems of production and consumption on to a more sustainable footing. Markets aren't perfect but they can be made to work and to work very effectively. Overfishing is the second biggest global sustainability challenge we face. Half of the world's fish stocks are fully exploited - meaning there is no further room for expansion - and a further quarter are overfished. The consequences of overfishing can be dire. In 1992, the Grand Banks cod fishery - a fishery that had provided the world with cod for centuries - collapsed. It still hasn't recovered. The MSC was set up by Unilever and WWF in 1997 to try to find a market solution to the problem of overfishing. The idea is that by providing a market incentive for fisheries to get certified, we're motivating fisheries to make the investments required to reduce by-catch, manage stocks sustainably and so on. Fishery science is incredibly |
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The MSC's fishery certification program and seafood eco-label recognise and reward sustainable fishing. They are a global organisation working with fisheries, seafood companies, scientists, conservation groups and the public to promote the best environmental choice in seafood. Here Rupert Howes, CEO of the Marine Stewardship Council writes about how they work.
detailed and it is often impossible to say 'this species is sustainable, that one isn't' because the circumstances of each fishery change depending on the fishing gear, the time of year and myriad other factors.To find out if a fishery is sustainable, you really need an independent, peer-reviewed study of the fishery based on a standard that defines a sustainable and well-managed fishery.
The MSC assessment does exactly that. Any fish bearing the MSC eco-label can be traced back to the independently-certified sustainable fishery that caught it. Every link in the supply has to be independently certified for tracibility in order for
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| the fish to display the MSC logo providing 'ocean to plate' traceability. That blue fish logo distils the science and years of stakeholder involvement in the MSC standard and the assessments into something easily recognisable on a fish counter or restaurant menu. From a consumer point of view, it is a double-whammy providing cast iron traceability and the assurance that you are making 'the best environmental choice'.
Giving consumers this information means they can make informed choices and use the power of their pockets to reward well managed fisheries - and it is really making a difference. We're starting to see fisheries like the Dutch brown shrimp fishery entering the programme. In order to get certified, they've committed to modifying their fishing gear to avoid a wasteful plaice bycatch. The individual changes are small but together they will make a huge difference.
Organico has made two important commitments to sourcing from MSC fisheries and plans to have 25% of their fish certified by the end of this year and 50% certified by the end of 2009. Encouragement from brands and retailers like Organico - responding to their customers' demand - is what is pulling fisheries into the MSC certification programme, but you don't have to be a retailer to make a difference. By choosing 'the fish with the tick' when you shop, you will be helping to secure a sustainable future for fish.
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