The MSC steps up as global pressure for better observer protection grows 

New funding to support research into fishery observer safety and welfare, has been announced by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) today. The global non-profit organisation – which sets an environmental standard for sustainable fishing – said it hoped to accelerate progress in safeguarding observers who carry out a vital role in protecting our oceans.
  
The move follows the first death of an observer on a vessel fishing for MSC certified catch in the Western Central Pacific.  The shocking and tragic death of Eritara Aati Kaierua on board the Win Far 636 in the Pacific in March 2020 is still under police investigation in Tarawa, Kiribati but there have been persistent reports of the dangers facing observers globally.
  
Observers play a vital role ensuring the monitoring, compliance and surveillance of commercial fishing activities. Mandated by fishery management organisations, their work focuses on collecting data to enable effective regulation of marine activity. However, according to the Association of Professional Observers, the isolated and sometimes contentious nature of their jobs can lead to attempts at bribery, intimidation and violence. 

The MSC does not require fisheries to work with observers as a part of its certification requirements – but in practice many fisheries rely on observers to collect the essential evidence needed for sustainable fisheries management - especially in remote parts of the world.
 
The MSC wholly condemns any violence or intimidation of observers. As part of its contribution to the collective efforts of the industry, human rights organisations, governments and regulators to improve observer safety, the MSC is allocating £100,000 (A$178,000) of funding for projects and initiatives aimed at improving observer safety at sea.
 
The funds will be deployed through the MSC's Ocean Stewardship Fund in the next round, which opens for applications in September 2020. This tranche of funding will also support initiatives focused on the use of electronic monitoring and other technologies designed to support observers and deliver assurance of fishing operations.

The MSC action comes as there is a growing focus on this area, including campaigns on observer safety by Greenpeace and the Association of Professional Observers, as well as the publication of a recent report by the organisation Human Rights at Sea.  
 
The Chief Executive of the MSC, Rupert Howes, said: 
“The MSC’s mission is to end the global crisis in overfishing. This is an enormous and complex challenge, supported by the extraordinary hard work and efforts of many people – including observers.
  
"Governments, law enforcement agencies and regulatory authorities must do more to ensure observer safety. But we recognise – as part of the wider sustainable seafood community - that MSC also has a part to play.  We want to do so in a way which is practical, by helping those who are already working in this field, pilot and test promising initiatives.  

"By working collaboratively with others, we believe we can help protect the human rights of observers and support them to carry out their vital work safeguarding our oceans.”

Notes for editors:
The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) is an international non-profit organisation. Our vision is for the world’s oceans to be teeming with life, and seafood supplies safeguarded for this and future generations. Our ecolabel and certification program rewards sustainable fishing practices. 

The MSC blue fish tick on a seafood product means that:
• it comes from a wild-catch fishery which has been independently certified to the MSC’s science-based standard for environmentally sustainable fishing.
• It is fully traceable to a sustainable source.

Currently, 395 fisheries in 36 countries are certified to the MSC Fishery Standard, representing around 15% of global marine catch by volume. 

The MSC’s Ocean Stewardship Fund (OSF), launched in 2018, aims to accelerate progress in sustainable fishing.  The MSC has committed 5% annually of all royalties from MSC certified product sales to support the OSF, along with £1 million seed funding.  

MSC has published a full response to the Human Rights at Sea Report, Fishery Observer Deaths at Sea, Human Rights and the Roles and Responsibilities of Fisheries Organisations.