After some controversial certifications prompted C.O.A.S.T. to explore MSC activity around the world, concerns have emerged about certification standards, ecological systems safeguards and the opaque relationships between certifiers and fisheries. C.O.A.S.T. has since taken a look at MSC involvement in Scotland and it has been an interesting project, as our vice-chair Dr. Sally Campbell explains...

In May 2009 the MSC's Scottish Fisheries Outreach Project was launched with the stated aim of enhancing the future conservation credentials of Scotland's fisheries. The project, it is said, would:

•    Encourage more fisheries to achieve recognition for their sustainable practices by becoming MSC-certified
•    Increase understanding and access to MSC certification - the gold standard of sustainability - by providing more information through a dedicated outreach officer
•    Make it clearer to consumers that the MSC eco-label is evidence of produce from a well-managed, sustainable fishery

The £200,000 project would be jointly funded by the Scottish Government and MSC.

The Scottish Government is putting in £90,000 over 3 years plus £20,000 in outreach costs to encourage Scottish fisheries to apply for the Blue MSC label for sustainable fisheries.

It funds two posts dedicated to assisting Scottish fisheries pursue certification: the Marine Stewardship Council's Scottish Fisheries Outreach Officer and Seafood Scotland's Technical and Environmental Manager.

The Outreach Officer is in place to ensure that inshore fisheries are aware their product can be certified and assist the fisheries through the accreditation process. The Technical and Environmental Manager is responsible for overseeing a three-year Environmental Programme for the Scottish seafood sector with emphasis on larger fisheries (www.fishupdate.com, www.seafoodscotland.org).

Support has also been made available from other sponsor organisations including local authorities and regional enterprise organisations. Indeed European Fisheries Fund (EFF) support is on offer for a range of pro-conservation actions including the increased use of selective gear.

The support has clearly had the intended effect. Scottish fisheries already certified include:

•    Loch Torridon nephrops (langoustine)
•    Stornoway nephrops (langoustine)
•    Scottish Pelagic Sustainability Group Ltd (SPSG) north east Atlantic mackerel
•    SPSG North Sea herring

Scottish fisheries currently under assessment include:

•    Clyde nephrops trawl and creel fisheries
•    SPSG Atlanto Scandian herring
•    Scottish White Fish Producers' Association (SWFPA) North Sea haddock

But certification is accelerating rapidly worldwide and some would say devaluing its endorsement as a result.  In 2008, the number of Scottish fisheries certified by the MSC doubled. In the first three months of 2009, the number of certified fisheries in Scotland doubled again from the previous year and ever-growing numbers are in the full assessment process. Last year the position was that :

•    Over 50% of all Scottish fisheries by value were currently MSC-certified or in the full assessment process
•    1 in 10 of MSC's certified fisheries worldwide were Scottish fisheries
•    90% of our valuable pelagic fisheries were now certified as sustainably fished

So why the push for even more certification now? The answer is pressure from the retail sector for fish from sustainable stock. For example Marks and Spencer by the end of 2011 is hoping to source as much of its fish as possible, other than farmed fish, with MSC certification, the Blue label.

Strategic fishery resources currently awaiting decision include:
1. North Sea haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus) trawl fishery is awaiting final decision by Moody Marine Ltd. Haddock is the most important demersal fish species to Scottish fishermen. There are three stocks of haddock, North Sea, West Coast and Rockall which contribute to Scottish landings. In 2008 some 29,500 tonnes of haddock were landed into Scotland, worth £32.7 million. Haddock accounts for around 35% of all demersal whitefish landings into Scotland. The North Sea fishery is by far the most significant; around 90% of haddock is landed at North Sea ports. A variety of types of trawl nets and seine nets are used to catch haddock. 
2. North Sea Nephrops (Nephrops norvegicus) trawl fishery. Moody Marine Ltd, the certification body, has announced that the Public Comment Draft Report for the Scottish Fisheries Sustainable Accreditation Group (SFSAG) North Sea nephrops fishery is available for comment for a period of 30 days until 14th June 2010.
3. The Loch Torridon Nephrops creel fishery was the first Scottish fishery to be certified as sustainable to the MSC standard. It was first accredited in January 2003, and has now undergone its first re-assessment by Moody Marine Ltd.
4. Stornoway Nephrops (Nephrops norvegicus) trawl fishery received the Blue label last year despite vigorous scientific opposition, including from COAST (read C.O.A.S.T.'s consultation response here). The certification body was Moody Marine Ltd.

So what of the Clyde, COAST’s marine area?
There are few white fish in the Clyde due to a long and tragic history of overfishing; they are prevented from returning in any numbers by dredging of the sea bed, which destroys nursery habitats and by trawling for Nephrops which destroys young fish in bycatch. C.OA.S.T. have expressed concern that the trawl fishery will be certified. Initially both the creel and trawl fisheries were put into assessment together. Recently the certification body, Moody Marine Ltd, yes Moody Marine again, has announced the following changes for the assessment previously known as Clyde nephrops trawl and creel fisheries.

The notification sets out the changes proposed to the report structure, title and timescale for these fishery assessments which it is understood is client driven

1. Report structure
The requirements under the Marine Stewardship Council program is that all fisheries must be assessed using a defined “Unit of Certification”. The “Unit of Certification” is defined by the MSC as “the fishery or fish stock (=biologically distinct population unit) combined with the fishing method/gear and practice (=vessel(s)) pursuing the fish of that stock)”. As part of the assessment process for this fishery, the certifier provided a public announcement and solicited comment on two units of certification rather than the original unified definition that included fishing for Nephrops norvegicus in the Firth of Clyde using trawls and creels. The initial announcement linked both units to a single report but now two reports will be prepared.

2. Change to assessment title
The two titles for reporting are to be the “Clyde nephrops trawl fishery” and the “Clyde nephrops creel fishery” respectively.

3. Timescale – Clyde Nephrops Creel Fishery
Changes to the timescale for the assessment of the creel fishery were proposed including a revised target eligibility date expected on 1st June 2010

So how does Certification work?
The process for certification has two phases:
Preassessment. Independent assessment, quick and encompassing to look at whether the fishery will meet the criteria of the MSC principles. This phase costs between £2,000-£10,000. It is understood that no money from the Scottish government is given towards this. This is a confidential stage and even the MSC does not hear about it; neither will the public! Fishery groups often realise they must change, or obtain more data prior to full assessment. If the data are deficient they can obtain European Fisheries Funding from the Scottish Government to fill the data gaps, for example by tagging crabs over time which was the case in Orkney for crab fisheries.
Full Assessment to meet the criteria. One concern is now being expressed that all too often the pre-assessment and full assessment are delivered by the same company. The process lacks clarity re. the boundaries of assessment. These should be completely independent of each other, and indeed of government. This is questionable practice open to accusations of bias.

The overriding concerns about MSC certification:
The basic and continuing concern is what is meant by sustainability?  Principle 2 of the MSC criteria reads:

“Maintaining the structure, function and diversity of the ecosystem.”

It is clear that in many of the assessments this is seen as simply maintaining the status quo. So a degraded habitat is not recognized as such. There is no demand to rebuild the rich ecosystem that has been degraded by that particular fishery. The nephrops trawl fishery is a good example where nephrops predators are no longer present.  The much reduced stock over the last 30 years of trawled fish in the North Sea is a glaring example where many eminent marine scientists insist the haddock stock is not at a sustainable level for the catches being taken. How crazy is a system that persuades shoppers this fish is really sustainable in both terms of stock left and the ecosystem from which it was taken? If the Clyde nephrops trawl fishery is certified as sustainable it will reinforce the belief in many quarters around the world that the Blue label is worth little biologically and scientifically, but many ££s in branding.

Following our presentation of views on the krill certification in our newsletter, COAST received correspondence from just about every corner of the world, all saying the same thing; we’ve received criticisms of bad outcomes, bad science, or no science at the time, letting fisheries through assessment, too much money tied in with certifiers, linkage of pre-assessment and assessment with same company, questionable linkages of governments with the certifiers and MSC, and so on. Something must be done to look at these glaring deficiencies in the processes. Sadly, what was started by Unilever and WWF to initiate MSC in an attempt to improve the dire state of fisheries and their ecosystems around the world, is now in danger of becoming no more than a branding exercise. Both WWF and MSC need to revisit certification and remove the Blue label from fisheries that damage their ecosystems in any way or are not actively assisting to repair and rebuild damaged marine ecosystems.