- MSC Fisheries Standard Good Indicator On Achieving UN Biodiversity Goals – ATuna 22.12.22.pdf
- MSC recognized by the UN – FIS 22.12.22.pdf
According to the article, the Marine Stewardship Council has gained recognition by the United Nations Conference on Biodiversity (COP15), held in Montreal in December 2022 ‘as a way to scientifically measure efforts to reverse the alarming decline in the world’s biodiversity’. MSC-certified catch and supply chain data are now used as official indicators in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and fall under two targets, the sustainable management and trade of wild species and the integration of biodiversity values into economies.
Our thoughts: The articles provide little analysis or useful critique of this news. We recognise that the MSC certification process does gather useful data and the standard can be used as a measure to track progress of a fishery, in the same way that any Fishery Improvement Project can. However, we are concerned that recognition at this international level will further cement the idea that MSC certification is the gold standard – the end goal rather than part of a journey. MSC will certainly promote this latest recognition as such! It is important to note that the MSC is only one of many “complementary indicators” recognised by the Biodiversity Framework; CITES, IWC, the Red List Index and assessments of IUU fishing and bycatch rates are also among the complentary indicators identified.
