Sourcing Sustainable Seafood: 7 Quick Questions and Answers With MSC

When a particular stock of fish is overfished, it becomes unsustainable. Overfishing occurs when too many fish in a particular stock are caught and there are not enough adults to breed and sustain a healthy population.

The level of overfishing has been increasing in recent decades and the number of overfished stocks is now three times higher than in 1970. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization monitors over 500 fish stocks around the globe. In 2022, it is estimated that over 35% of these fish stocks were overfished. There are several factors that drive overfishing, which include rising consumption, climate change and Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing. 

Fishing is sustainable if it leaves enough fish in the oceans and minimises impacts on habitats and ecosystems. For this to happen, fisheries must be managed effectively. The MSC Fisheries Standard can play a major role in preventing overfishing and ensuring fish stocks are healthy for the future.  

Climate change is having a profound impact on our oceans and marine life. Its effects are changing the distribution of fish stocks and their food, but also creates new opportunities for fishing.

Areas in the Tropics are predicted to see declines of up to 40% in potential seafood catch by 2050. In contrast, areas in higher latitudes, such as the North Atlantic and North Pacific, are seeing increases in the range of some fish species.

These changes bring challenges. To continue to fish sustainably requires adopting new methods of fishing. The fishing industry and governments have found it difficult to agree how best to manage changing stocks, particularly if fish are moving across international boundaries or where catches need to be significantly reduced.

If climate change affects fish, you can still eat it; just try to choose MSC labelled fish and seafood. MSC certified fisheries are well managed and more prepared for environmental changes. These fisheries follow current scientific advice to ensure they catch fish sustainably. 

Choosing products with the blue MSC ecolabel allows you to enjoy eating seafood in the knowledge you have made a positive choice to support well-managed, sustainable fisheries. These fisheries are pioneering new ways to conserve the marine environment.

By buying fish from sustainable fisheries, you’re encouraging more businesses to stock sustainably sourced seafood and more fisheries to improve and become certified. We’d also recommend consulting the Marine Conservation Society’s (MCS) Good Fish Guide to know when to avoid certain species for seasonality reasons, but if you’re after something that’s not there, head to the freezer or the canned fish aisle. 

The ‘Big Five’ fish species – cod, haddock, salmon, tuna and prawns – make up 80% of the fish and seafood we consume in the UK.

There are also some fantastic local British swaps you can try to diversify the fish you eat, like hake, coley, sardines, mussels, clams and cockles. Buying or sourcing some of these lesser-known sustainable species can also help to spread the love and encourage you to try something new. Whether you’re eating your Big Five favourites, or trying something new, you can still enjoy fish and seafood sustainably if you are careful about where it’s sourced.

You can find out more about the Big Five and other alternatives here: https://www.msc.org/uk/what-you-can-do/sustainable-fish-to-eat-in-the-uk. 

Choose suppliers that have MSC Chain of Custody certification and ask for products which are certified and have the blue MSC ecolabel. These companies make up the world’s largest certified sustainable seafood supply chain. They keep non-MSC and MSC certified seafood separate and clearly labelled. Looking for the blue MSC ecolabel on seafood products indicates that the seafood has been sourced from a fishery that meets rigorous sustainability standards.

You can also think about becoming MSC certified yourself. MSC certification helps you to meet a growing demand for sustainable seafood and using the blue MSC label educates and involves your customers in protecting ocean ecosystems for future generations. To find out more, visit www.msc.org/uk. 

The easiest way for a chef to make their seafood offering more sustainable is to become certified and use the blue MSC ecolabel on their menu. Serving sustainable wild caught seafood is a great way to support fishing that takes care of our oceans and makes sure there are fish forever.

There are currently no invasive species in UK waters that are intentionally caught by MSC certified fisheries. However, the Manila or Japanese carpet shell clam was introduced to Poole Harbour in 1988, initially for aquaculture, and has since become naturalised without causing damage to native species.

Back in 2018, the Poole Harbour clam and cockle fishery was the first fishery in Dorset to receive MSC certification.

Learn more about why it’s critical to choose seafood carefully here or read more about this area of the Food Made Good Framework here. You’ll also find examples of businesses doing a great job of sourcing seafood sustainably on our News & Insights page.