The Marine Stewardship Council reached a milestone on Friday, announcing that the 10,000th MSC-labeled product has been sold by Stührk Delikatessen.
The product, Stührk’s Cocktail Shrimps with Dill Cream, originated from Canada’s Gulf of St. Lawrence northern shrimp trawl fishery, which was certified as sustainable and well-managed in 2008. Based in Marne, northern Germany, Stührk Delikatessen has included MSC-certified seafood in its product range since 2007, when the company secured MSC chain-of-custody certification.
The number of MSC-labeled products available worldwide has doubled since April 2010. “The rate at which the number of MSC-labeled products in the global market is increasing — doubling every twelve months over the last four years — confirms that suppliers are putting sustainability at the center of their business, and responding to their customers’ growing awareness and preferences about seafood sourcing,” said Simon Edwards, MSC’s global communications director.
According to the MSC, the MSC eco-label is gaining a lot of traction in the German market. A consumer survey conducted by AMR Research found that more than half (52 percent) of respondents recognized the MSC eco-label.
More than 240 fisheries are engaged in the London-based MSC program, with 106 certified, more than 140 in full assessment and 40 to 50 in confidential pre-assessment.
The 9,000th MSC-labeled product — Waitrose Oat Crumbed Scottish Mackerel Fillets from the Scottish Pelagic Sustainability Group’s western mackerel fishery — hit the market less than two months ago.
