A huge, lucrative and increasingly controversial scheme to certify ‘sustainable’ fish has taken another broadside from researchers.
The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), an international not-for-profit organization based in London, has to date awarded some 170 fisheries the coveted certification of sustainable food source. Such a seal of approval can in principle command higher prices from environmentally conscious consumers.
In recent years a number of scientists have raised objections about MSC certification for fisheries. The MSC has established a formal system for reviewing its applications for certification, in which third parties — usually conservation activists — can raise objections.
The new study examined those objections and warns that “contrary to MSC claims, MSC-certified fisheries are not all sustainable”. It raises the possibility that the scheme will come to be regarded as ‘bluewashing’ — analogous to the derogatory term ‘greenwashing’ levelled at companies that attempt to put a sheen of environmental responsibility on their activities.
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