Why sell certified sustainable seafood? For single or multi-site organisations trading certified seafood such as a trader operating from one office or a processor with several factory locations.
MSC: The best environmental choice in seafood Promote your seafood with MSC MSC Selling and promoting MSC certified sustainable seafood as part or all of your seafood offering means you re supporting fishing communities working hard to fish sustainably, as well as meeting increased consumer demand for sustainable and traceable seafood. To sell MSC labelled seafood, your company must Be certified to the MSC Chain of Custody Standard* Have an MSC ecolabel licence agreement in place Front cover image: MSC *Unless your company only trades consumer-ready tamper-proof products that will only be opened by the final consumer.
The MSC ecolabel is an effective tool to communicate sustainability to seafood consumers and diners and can be found on tens of thousands of products and menus in around 100 countries. 57% trust an independent ecolabel more than a brand s own promise Top five reasons to choose MSC MSC certified seafood must be Purchased from certified suppliers Identifiable at all times Segregated from non-msc certified seafood Traceable and recorded Managed systematically 1 2 3 4 5 Satisfy increased demand for traceable and sustainable seafood Choose from over 100 species of wild-capture seafood from thousands of certified suppliers Demonstrates commitment to sustainability Potential sales increases Pride in helping to safeguard seafood supplies for the future
MSC: The best environmental choice in seafood Join the growing global network of organisations proudly displaying the MSC ecolabel 65% agreed it s important for supermarkets to sell sustainably caught fish Pacifical Seattle Fish Company of New Mexico Pacifical MSC certified skipjack tuna connects consumers worldwide with the PNA island nations, recognising and rewarding fishermen who catch tuna sustainably. Henk Brus, Managing Director, Pacifical
Our company believes that MSC certification is not just an investment in sustainable fisheries, but one of many business practices which will sustain our business for future generations. Craig Risk, President and CEO, Seattle Fish Company of New Mexico Increased appetite for sustainable seafood Recent independent research into seafood buying behaviour around the world shows: 41 % of seafood consumers actively look for fish from a sustainable source 61% believe restaurants should show sustainable seafood options on their menus 9 in10 believe ocean sustainability is important Consumer facing retail value of US$4.8bn We want to enjoy fish in the future. Therefore, we advise our clients to buy wild-caught fish with the MSC ecolabel as we fully support the approach of the Marine Stewardship Council. Alexandre Briët Quality Manager, Profish Netherlands
MSC: The best environmental choice in seafood DNA testing for your peace of mind 66% traceability high on the agenda when making purchasing decisions DNA testing of product samples is a way to check that our auditing system of MSC supply chains is working, and products bearing the MSC ecolabel are correctly identified. We work with an independent forensic lab to undertake random DNA testing of MSC certified seafood products. Consistently over 98% of MSC labelled products tested are correctly labelled with investigations launched into those that aren t. Discover more at msc.org/dna SASA
Next steps Time and cost of getting certified The cost of the initial and subsequent audits can vary depending on the complexity and size of your organisation as well as your certifier s rates and travel expenses. Tip Get a range of quotes from accredited certifiers and prepare well for your audit. Annual cost of using the MSC ecolabel Once you ve signed an MSC ecolabel licence agreement you will pay an annual fee of between US$250 and $2,000 plus royalties starting at 0.5% on the net wholesale value of your MSC labelled seafood sales.* If you are a consumer facing organisation and are reporting under US$200,000, you ll just pay an annual fee of US$250. Your licensing fees help us reach more fisheries around the world increasing the supply of certified sustainable seafood. Tip Get in touch with an MSC representative for more information. *During the whole supply chain of a product or menu item, royalties are only collected once. MSC operates a tiered rate structure. Steps to selling MSC labelled food 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Decide which version of the MSC Chain of Custody Standard is right for you (Default, Group or Consumer Facing) Choose a certifier Prepare for audit Complete audit Receive certificate and chain of custody code (Valid for three years subject to periodic surveillance audits) Sign MSC ecolabel licence agreement (Required to use the MSC ecolabel) Design packaging or menus with MSC ecolabel (Subject to approval)
Countries where fisheries are engaged in the MSC program More than 250 fisheries certified to the MSC Fisheries Standard Find out more: Design by Forster Communications. 9,019 respondents were questioned across 15 countries by research company AMR between 19 March to 25 July 2014. Find out more at msc.org/consumer-research. This promotional leaflet relates to the MSC Chain of Custody Standard (Default Version 4.0). All information correct at time of publication. www.msc.org/supply-chain info@msc.org @MSCecolabel /marine-stewardship-council /sustainableseafood Marine Stewardship Council 2015