MSC aims to increase activity and drive sustainable fishing in Mexico

The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) plans to increase its presence and activities in Mexico, rolling out a strategic plan for the creation of a community of producers and commercial partners, while also implementing a communications campaign on the importance of sustainable fishing and the benefits of getting certified.

To increase environmental stewardship in Mexico’s fishing industry, MSC will work with key industry players to drive its chain of custody certification and its eco-labeling program of certified products in stores, which allows consumers to recognize fisheries that use resources rationally with a minimized impact on the ecosystem. and reward those fisheries with their purchases.

“We want to help protect Mexico's marine resources and help Mexican fishing industry organizations meet their sustainability goals, while increasing their productivity and thus enhancing the national market,” MSC Fisheries Manager for Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean Luis Bourillón said in a statement. “From the MSC's perspective, all those involved in the seafood supply chain can help protect the future of our oceans and the fish and shellfish reserve, while continuing to enjoy them, without having to prohibit their consumption.”

Currently, 15 percent of the world's catch is certified by MSC, the certifier said. In Mexico itself, four major fisheries have been certified to date: the small pelagic fishery, the Southern Gulf of California thread herring fishery, the Northeastern Tropical Pacific purse-seine yellowfin and skipjack tuna fishery, and the Baja California red rock lobster fishery.

An MSC survey released last November, prepared by GlobeScan, found that seafood sustainability is increasingly important to consumers across all generations, and particularly to those between 18 and 34 years old. The survey, which compiled the opinions of more than 4,000 seafood consumers in North America, found the largest barrier to fish consumption for millenial consumers has to do with concern over declining fish stocks. Just 32 percent of younger consumers listed cost as a barrier, while 59 percent of those over age 55 said they refrained from eating fish as often due to cost concerns. 

MSC is is the only wild-capture fisheries certification and eco-labeling program that meets best practice requirements set by both the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (UNFAO) and ISEAL, the global membership association for sustainability standards.

Photo courtesy of the Marine Stewardship Council