The MSC continues to be recognized by UN FAO partner, the Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative (GSSI), whose updated Global Benchmark Tool provides an independent review of sustainability programs.
The MSC was the first certification program to be formally recognized by the GSSI back in 2017. Since then, the Benchmark Tool has been revised through expert and public consultation, and we're pleased to continue to meet the new benchmarks.
Recognition to this benchmark required a high level of scrutiny of the MSC’s operations. As a third-party science- and evidence-based program we welcome the chance to be measured against UN standards. When other independent organizations, like GSSI, recognize the MSC program, it reaffirms the rigor and credibility of MSC certification.
Continuing to meet this benchmark means that seafood eaters can feel confident that products with the MSC blue fish label have gone through a rigorous process to ensure their sustainability.
Read more about the MSC Fisheries and Chain of Custody Standards.
What is the GSSI Global Benchmark Tool?
The GSSI says that the “The Global Benchmark Tool provides confidence in certified seafood and promotes improvement in seafood certification schemes by recognizing those that are robust and credible. Using the Tool, GSSI aligns global efforts and resources to address the latest seafood sustainability challenges.”
The GSSI is a public-private partnership that works to “turn seafood into a driver for good to preserve oceans for future generations and drive forward more sustainable seafood.”
It says it has “worked in close partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and its member states since its inception to operationalize and champion internationally agreed guidelines and instruments in the seafood sector.”
The tool is underpinned by the United Nations’ FAO guidelines, providing assurance that the MSC Fisheries Standard meets the FAO:
- Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries
- Guidelines for Ecolabelling of Fish and Fishery Products from Marine/Inland Capture Fisheries
- Technical Guidelines for Aquaculture Certification
The FAO Guidelines are at the heart of all GSSI programs, bringing sustainability to the forefront of the work being done in the seafood sector and to contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
