A group of NGOs have responded to comments made by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) as regards a letter where they mention the “unacceptable impacts” which MSC certified fisheries have on marine ecosystems , due to “critical weaknesses” in its standard.
Last week 66 NGOs, industry professionals and leading campaigners, including Greenpeace International and Sharkproject, sent a joint letter to the MSC declaring that there is significant and increasing concerns about the MSC certification.
In the letter, they maintain that specific fishery certifications are evidence that critical weaknesses remain in the MSC system.
The ONGs invited the MSC to an inclusive and transparent dialogue, but they maintain that in the statement issued by the MSC after the letter, this body does not respond to their concerns.
The NGOs indicate that their letter follows another sent in January 2017, signed by 53 international organizations.
“This first letter brought concerns to the MSC reporting flaws in Principle 2 (Environmental and Ecological Impacts’) that are increasingly allowing fisheries with widely unacceptable impacts to be certified as sustainable. Now, at the start of 2018 additional organisations, groups and individuals are calling for more immediate dialogue and action, and have signed on to support the urgent implementation of critical improvements,” NGO’s say in the new letter presented at the end of January of this year.
We are disappointed with the MSC’s approach to the letter signed by many of the world’s leading marine NGOs and scientists. There is so much work to be done to make the MSC Standard as robust as it needs to be, said Dr Iris Ziegler, International Cooperation Manager from SHARKPROJECT.
Amongst several other issues the current levels of bycatch of marine mammals, sharks and other endangered or threatened species in MSC certified fisheries across the world is totally unacceptable, she added.
ONGs point out their concern is growing, given that in recent years an increasing number of controversial fisheries have received MSC certification or have been recertified.
The letter concludes: In addition to the points attached, of particular note we call for swift action to include ethical concerns, such as those related to social and labour issues in the fishery sector in the MSC assessments, ensuring that all people throughout the chain of custody are treated fairly and decently and that companies respect human rights and adhere to the International Labour Organization’s Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work.”
“As a cross industry campaign we support all those who seek to improve the MSC Standard. We will continue to campaign so that fisheries can only be wholly, rather than partially, certified in order to ensure consumers can trust the product they buy is from a sustainable fishery, said a spokesperson from On The Hook.
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