In a recent op-ed published in The Hill, author George Hochbrueckner wrote about Russian seafood. This article included several inaccurate statements about the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), and we wish to take this opportunity to correct the record.
The MSC is an independent international, non-profit organization that was founded in 1997 following the collapse of the Grand Banks cod fishery. Our vision is to confirm sustainable fishing practices through a voluntary program that is scientifically rigorous, independent, open and transparent. Only well managed fisheries that ensure the long-term sustainability of fish stocks and keep ecosystems healthy achieve MSC certification and can display our ecolabel on their packaging. We operate from 14 offices around the world including Seattle, Singapore and Sydney. The MSC program is open to fisheries from around the world.
The MSC does not compete with NOAA or any other government entity. In fact, our work complements that of government. In early June, MSC certification of the entire U.S. West Coast groundfish fishery was widely celebrated across the country by fishers, business, conservation and government. It confirmed the success of a decade long effort led by NOAA to restore a fishery from one that had declared a disaster to one that is now independently certified to be sustainable.
