A zoo in Stockholm has become the first in Sweden to achieve Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification. Skansen now has the right to use the MSC label, which guarantees that the seals at the zoo will be fed herring sourced from sustainable fisheries.

Founded in 1891, Skansen is the world's first open-air museum. Today it is the most popular museum in Sweden with over one million visitors annually. The MSC certification is part of Skansen’s ambition to be an environmentally friendly site for both visitors and the animals that live there.

“We are happy that we have come this far” says Tommy Lambrell, environmental coordinator at Skansen. “Seals are an important part of the Baltic Sea fauna, and it feels great that we have started feeding them sustainable herring” he added.

Only well managed fisheries which ensure the long term sustainability of fish stocks and keep ecosystems healthy achieve MSC certification.

“It is great that Skansen has chosen to get MSC certified. At a place where people who love animals gather, they can now discover that there is an ecolabel making a positive change in the oceans. The more people who choose sustainably caught fish, the better for the life in the seas” says Christoph Mathiesen, Manager of MSC in Scandinavia & Baltic Sea region.

Visitors to Skansen will also have the chance to choose sustainably caught fish when eating lunch. One of the zoo’s restaurants, Gubbhyllan, has also achieved MSC certification, meaning it can put the MSC ecolabel on its menu.

“When I was told that the seals would have MSC herring, I decided that my guests also would get a chance to contribute to an ocean full of life” says KC Wallberg from Gubbhyllan.