Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) is an international non-profit organization that operates a global seafood sustainability, traceability, and ecolabeling program for wild-capture fisheries and seafood supply chains. The organization was established in 1997 through a partnership between the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), an international environmental organization, and Unilever, a multinational consumer goods company. Headquartered in London, the MSC operates globally with offices and activities across Europe, North America, Asia-Pacific, and other regions.

The organization’s main purpose is to promote sustainable fishing practices and support long-term seafood supplies through market-based certification and assurance systems. Its work combines fisheries sustainability standards, seafood traceability requirements, independent certification processes, supply-chain assurance systems, and the blue MSC ecolabel used on seafood products sold to consumers worldwide.The organization also operates joint supply-chain certification arrangements with the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC).

The MSC is best known for two core standards that form the basis of its certification system: the MSC Fisheries Standard and the MSC Chain of Custody Standard. The Fisheries Standard is used to assess whether fisheries are environmentally sustainable and effectively managed, while the Chain of Custody Standard ensures certified seafood remains identifiable and traceable throughout the supply chain. Seafood products can only carry the blue MSC label if both standards are met.

Certification under the MSC system is voluntary and assessments are carried out by accredited independent third-party certification bodies rather than by the MSC itself. The organization regularly reviews and revises its standards through consultation with scientists, fisheries managers, seafood companies, environmental organizations, certification bodies, governments, and other stakeholders. Public consultations, pilot testing, impact assessments, mock audits, and implementation reviews are used to refine program requirements and maintain consistency with current scientific understanding and industry practices.

More than 20% of global marine catch is either certified or engaged in the MSC program. More than 51,000 supply chain sites worldwide are certified to handle seafood products carrying the MSC label, while more than 20,000 labeled products are sold across dozens of countries. Fisheries participating in the program have introduced thousands of environmental and management improvements as part of certification and reassessment processes.

The MSC program is based on internationally recognized fisheries science and management principles, including guidance from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The organization also aligns its standards development and assurance processes with international sustainability system frameworks and regularly collaborates with seafood companies, retailers, governments, researchers, NGOs, certification bodies, and industry groups.

Recent program developments have increasingly focused on digital traceability systems, anti-fraud measures, supply-chain integrity, remote auditing approaches, and evolving traceability legislation. Current revision projects are also intended to simplify certification processes, improve consistency between program documents, strengthen environmental outcomes, and make requirements more accessible while maintaining credibility and assurance.

MSC’s governance structure includes a Board of Trustees, Technical Advisory Board, Stakeholder Advisory Council, and additional working groups involving representatives from industry, science, environmental organizations, and other stakeholder groups. The organization emphasizes transparency, scientific credibility, stakeholder participation, and continuous improvement as core principles of its standards and certification system.

For more information, please visit the official website.