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MacAlister Elliott and Partners Ltd Marine Fishery Consultants
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MSC Certification

"The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) is an independent, global, non-profit organisation with offices in the UK, Australia, Holland and Japan. In a bid to reverse the continued decline in the world's fisheries, the MSC is seeking to harness consumer purchasing power to generate change and promote environmentally responsible stewardship of the world's most important renewable food source" (MSC Website, 2007. www.msc.org).

What is the MSC Certification Programme?

The MSC has developed an environmental standard for sustainable and well-managed fisheries. It uses a product label to reward environmentally responsible fishery management and practices. Consumers, concerned about overfishing and its environmental and social consequences will increasingly be able to choose seafood products that have been independently assessed against the MSC Standard and labelled to prove it. This will assure them that the product has not contributed to the environmental problem of overfishing.

The MSC promotes equal access to its certification programme irrespective of the size, scale, type location or intensity of the fishery. The MSC also recognises the need to observe and respect the long term interests of people dependent on fishing for food and livelihood.

The MSC’s environmental standard for sustainable fishing, the Principles and Criteria for Sustainable Fishing, is based on the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries. The MSC Standard is constantly reviewed by an independent group of fisheries experts (Technical Advisory Board) from around the world. Under its voluntary scheme, fisheries around the world can apply to be independently assessed against this standard. This assessment is not undertaken by the MSC but by independent certification bodies that have been independently accredited by Accreditation Services International (ASI) to perform MSC assessments. This ensures that evaluations are unbiased, credible and open to transparent stakeholder involvement. Companies judged by the MSC to be competent to assess fisheries to its standard undertake a rigorous assessment of fisheries wishing to achieve certification to the MSC Standard. If a fishery meets the MSC Standard, it is then certified. Once certified, companies wishing to use the MSC products undergo a Chain of Custody certification that guarantees traceability of MSC-labelled seafood, ensuring that it has been separated from non-certified product at every stage of the production from the boat to the plate. Those companies then gain the right to use the MSC logo on their products (MSC Website, 2007. www.msc.org).

Certification Services offered by MEP

MEP are accredited by ASI to perform MSC Chain of Custody and Sustainable Fisheries Assessments against the MSC’s Standard for well managed and sustainable fisheries. Our highly experienced team boast a diverse skill base enabling us to undertake work globally on behalf of the MSC on projects of any scale and technical nature.

Our areas of expertise include;

The services we offer cover the whole scope of MSC Certification; from providing impartial guidance to potential and existing clients, to pre-assessments and full-assessments of fisheries, on-going monitoring schemes and Chain of Custody Certification. Our depth of involvement enables us to guarantee the supply of sustainable fish from source to consumer.

Fishery Assessment

The MSC’s Standard for determining environmentally sustainable, well-managed fisheries centres around three main principles;

The certification programme is voluntary and enables a fishery (e.g. management bodies, fishing industry associations government agencies, etc) to demonstrate that their fish products are well managed and harvested sustainably. For fish processors, traders and retailers the purchase of MSC product ensures a future for their livelihood and the industry as a whole. The use of the MSC logo on products enables consumers to purchase fish products knowing they are not contributing to overfishing of stocks or environmentally damaging practices. Eco-labelling often ensures that a product sells at a better price than its counterparts and is attractive to an ever increasing market.

Chain of Custody

This assessment ensures that fish products authorised to carry the MSC logo originate from MSC approved fisheries only and are not mixed with or replaced by non-certified product.

Chain of Custody procedures are implemented from the boat through to the wholesale dealer or retailer. Traceability is the main element of a Chain of Custody assessment, the integrity of both procedural and administrative systems must be demonstrated to the Certifying Body to ensure certified products cannot be mixed with non-certified material.

For a list of MEP’s MSC Certification clients and projects please visit our Certified Suppliers page. Details of all MSC Certified fisheries and suppliers are displayed on the MSC website (www.msc.org).

Want to know more about Certification?

The Information Fact Sheets below explain the MSC Certification procedures, principles and requirements. For further information on the MSC visit www.msc.org or contact the MEP Certification Manager (see details below).

Applying for Certification?

If you wish to undertake a Fishery Assessment or obtain Chain of Custody Certification, please download one of the Applications Form below.

Assessor Registration

If you are experienced in conducting marine fisheries assessment, either for fisheries management or post-harvest chain of custody certification, please send us a covering letter and your CV to mep@macalister-elliott.com.

Contact Details

For MSC related enquiries contact Angela Lowe, Certification Manager.

angela.lowe@macalister-elliott.com, telephone: +44 (0)1590 679016, fax: +44 (0)1590 671573

MacAlister Elliott & Partners, 56 High Street, Lymington, Hampshire SO41 9AH UK.

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