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25 years of Marine Stewardship Council certification: Lessons learnt and future directions
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DOI：10.1016/j.marpol.2026.107220.png)
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Abstract
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Increasing global demand for seafood and increasing consumer awareness of sustainable sourcing, has led to a surge in seafood certification programs like the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). Seafood certification programs play an important role in promoting sustainable fishing practices and assisting consumers make informed choices, while providing a market-based incentive for fisheries to improve their sustainability. In 2000, Western Australia’s rock lobster fishery became the first in the world to achieve MSC certification. This was followed in 2012 by a commitment from the Western Australian Government to support third-party certification assessments of state fisheries through the MSC program. Drawing on 25 years of experience, this paper provides insights for fisheries agencies and industry stakeholders considering certification. Examples from the WA MSC initiative, alongside MSC-certified lobster fisheries, are used to identify common challenges in achieving and maintaining certification and how these have been addressed. Key factors influencing ongoing certification success include (i) the capacity to meet certification cost including addressing conditions, (ii) jurisdictional arrangements, (iii) the level of government support, and (iv) industry capacity. To continue to grow the MSC must better support small-scale fisheries by addressing financial barriers and adapting certification criteria to their specific needs. Without targeted support and clear market or social benefits, small-scale fisheries may struggle to transition to new versions of the Standard or fail to see the value in certification.
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