The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) has announced that three-quarters of the whitefish caught in global fisheries is now certified MSC sustainable, representing “a major milestone for the seafood industry.”
“Whitefish represents one of the most compelling sustainability success stories in seafood,” MSC Chief Program Officer Nicolas Guichoux said. “Many of these fisheries have now maintained certification for decades and continued to improve their practices, demonstrating not only their long-term commitment to operating responsibly but the clear commercial incentive of doing so, as well.”
Guichoux said that the market for certified whitefish is strong, resilient in the face of geopolitical shocks, and growing.
“Despite recent economic pressures and global supply chain challenges, certified fisheries have consistently met this demand, and we’re now seeing growth through the entry of new fisheries and diversification into additional species,” Guichoux said.
MSC attributed much of the growth of sustainability in the worldwide whitefish catch to fisheries that have been working for more than two decades to improve conditions, including the Alaska pollock and South African hake fisheries, which have been MSC-certified for 20 years, and as well as the New Zealand hoki fishery, which has been certified for 25 years.
Newly certified fisheries, like Australia’s orange roughy fishery, also played a role, MSC said, detailing the years of collaboration that went into achieving certification in that fishery.
“Over 60 different whitefish species now carry the MSC label across the globe, from the popular pollock and cod to less widely known pikeperch, sablefish, and various rockfish reflecting growing diversity and widespread commitment from the industry toward sustainability,” MSC said.
