Rates and drivers of fishery certification and withdrawal from the MSC program

Bibliographic Data

ID21520171
AuthorsMichael C Melnychuk (0000-0002-6088-7657), Samantha Lees (0000-0003-3677-6532), Megan Atcheson, Polly Burns (0000-0003-0587-8421), Catherine Longo (0000-0001-8640-1590), Lauren M Koerner (0000-0003-0445-1733), Lauren Koerner, Beth Polidoro (0000-0002-4361-0189)
Year2024
Volume170
Pages106343
Publication date2024-12-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueMarine Policy (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0308-597X • E-ISSN: 1872-9460
PublisherElsevier BV (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1016/j.marpol.2024.106343
OpenAlexW4402515694
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited41

Worldwide, many fisheries choose to be assessed against the Marine Stewardship Council’s Fisheries Standard to receive recognition for their sustainable fishing practices and derive economic or other benefits. Some of these fisheries fail an assessment or withdraw from the eco-labelling program before or after having been certified. Understanding factors associated with fisheries joining or leaving the MSC program may provide insights into the balance between the rewards of certification versus challenges of meeting and maintaining sustainability requirements. Here, we use competing risks survival models to quantify rates of certification, assessment failure and withdrawal from the program, and attribute these outcomes to several predictor variables. Of fishery units entering their first assessment, 79 % were predicted to become certified, 4 % to fail, and 17 % to withdraw before completion. Of fishery units that were ever certified, 19 % have been observed and 31 % are predicted to eventually withdraw from the program or fail a re-assessment. Post-certification withdrawal rates were strongly influenced by whether or not certification was suspended as a result of no longer meeting Fisheries Standard requirements; 73 % of fisheries which have ever been under suspension eventually withdrew compared with only 8 % of fisheries which have never been suspended, and in any given month, being under suspension carried a 23-fold greater risk of withdrawal compared to equivalent months not under suspension. As the reasons for suspension are most commonly associated with the sustainability status of target stocks, these results suggest that the main reason for fisheries leaving the MSC program is associated with changes in stock status that result in fisheries no longer meeting the corresponding requirements. • Most fishery units ever entering MSC assessment passed and remain certified. • Fisheries withdrawing from the MSC program were often under suspension at the time. • Most suspensions result from not meeting sustainability requirements for target stocks. • Higher recent withdrawal rates may reflect stricter certification requirements. • Tuna fisheries had higher risk of failing assessments

Biology · Business · Certification · Economics · Fishery · Management · Global trade, sustainability, and social impact

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