By being open and transparent and holding certified producers fully accountable, MSC certification has become a symbol for sustainability-minded customers that they are buying a truly eco-safe product.
Producers seeking MSC certification undertake months of rigorous review by MSC and independent, third-party auditors, said Eco-safe tuna.
Before the official certification process even begins, a pre-assessment is conducted. In this pre-assessment, an independent review determines if a fishery is ready to undertake the full assessment by MSC.
Following the pre-assessment, and acting on the guidance of the pre-assessment reviewer, the fishery has time to prepare for the full assessment against MSC standards.
“The process is led by the appointed certifier and its expert assessment team. It involves consulting with stakeholders, reviewing performance indicators, scoring the fishery, identifying ways that the fishery can strengthen its performance (if needed), peer review and making a final determination about whether the fishery meets the MSC standard,” said Eco-safe tuna.
Only after the full assessment is complete will a fishery be considered eligible to use the MSC Certified Sustainable Seafood label.
MSC also requires that certified fisheries arrange for independent, third-party audits of their operations to ensure that MSC standards are maintained and all the fishery’s seafood can be traced in accordance to the MSC Chain of Custody standard.
Commenting on Eco-safe Tuna's announcement, a spokesperson for the MSC commented: "The MSC programme involves rigorous, independent scientific assessment of the sustainability of a wide range of fisheries around the world. Only well-managed fisheries which ensure the long-term security of fish stocks, whilst maintaining the health of ecosystems, achieve MSC certification and can display our ecolabel on their packaging.
"MSC certified fisheries have made over 400 improvements as conditions of their certifications. With our partners in the fishing industry and supply chains, we are working to transform the global seafood market to a sustainable basis."
