The MSC Fisheries Standard Toolbox includes a procedure to allow the Section SE requirements to be applied to specific fisheries ahead of reassessment against Version 3.1 of our Standard.
What is Section SE?
The MSC Fisheries Standard Version 3.1 contains requirements (Section SE) to incentivise the development and adoption of robust and precautionary harvest strategies in multi-jurisdictional fisheries.
Section SE provides a series of pre-defined milestones for fisheries managed by Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs) to adopt effective harvest strategies, enabling them to resolve related conditions of MSC certification.
In recognition of the time required for RFMOs to develop and agree to adopt harvest strategies, fisheries are permitted additional time to resolve their conditions:
- Fisheries with a target stock entering the program for the first time (e.g., the stock has not been part of a previous certification) will be given a maximum of ten years – or two certification cycles – to develop and adopt a state-of-the-art harvest strategy (SG100).
- Fisheries with a target stock that have had one or more previous certifications will have a maximum of five additional years to meet their conditions.
All fisheries that have applied Section SE must meet specific pre-defined milestones, such as carrying out management strategy evaluation to determine the efficacy of harvest strategies developed, and adoption of catch or effort constraint mechanisms.
To counterbalance the additional time for resolving conditions, fisheries must adopt all Version 3.1 requirements at their next reassessment.
Early Application of Section SE
Certified fisheries managed by RFMOs can adopt the Section SE requirements before their next reassessment. This will enable them to start working towards the milestones defined in Section SE for the implementation of harvest strategies.
Fisheries can only undertake early application of Section SE if the majority of units of certification with the same target stock agree.
The procedure for CABs to use when applying Section SE early is found in the MSC Fisheries Standard Toolbox.
When can Early Application of Section SE be used?
Fisheries can apply to be assessed against Section SE before their next reassessment. Section SE can only be used if the majority of units of certification targeting the same stock agree to early application.
The requirements are mandatory for fisheries managed by RFMOs but can be applied to other fisheries on an optional basis.
Fisheries can enter early assessment against the Section SE requirements until 1 July 2026.
Those wanting to undertake early application of Section SE should inform their CAB.
