The Fish Site, November 10, 2023.
Several lawsuits against retailers around sustainability claims on their products are bringing light to the shortcomings of these programs and retailers. They must do more to ensure that consumers can trust the claims on the seafood they buy.
The author, Arlin Wasssermann, managing director of Changing Tastes says “A reasonable person expects certifications to work differently than some of the largest sustainable seafood certifications actually do. And the details may rise to the level of false advertising or worse”.
He touches on the potential for the MSC label to be undermined by allowing certifiers to place conditions on a fishery, something that we have highlighted as a critical flaw for many years.
He also proposes two solutions to this problem:
- Candidly report on progress towards goals consumers expect, like improving fish stocks, improving ocean health and eliminating antibiotics; and,
- Let the courts decide and eliminate ambiguity. The first company to simply not fight or settle out of court will instead allow the courts to decide what defines a claim of “sustainability” and companies can pursue that standard.
