MSC commits US$6M to support sustainable fishing practices
The funding, through the Ocean Stewardship Fund, will be disbursed by 2030 to aid fisheries in improving sustainability and adapting to climate change.
WORLD – The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) has announced it will allocate US$6 million (approximately €5.6 million) to support global efforts aimed at making fishing more sustainable over the next five years.
The funds will be directed to the MSC’s Ocean Stewardship Fund (OSF), which backs fishery improvement initiatives and sustainability research.
MSC Chief Executive Rupert Howes shared the update during a session titled Towards a Blue Food Future at the United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC) held in Nice, France.
The Ocean Stewardship Fund has been operational since 2019 and has awarded over US$8.4 million (approximately €7.7 million) to more than 200 projects worldwide.
MSC stated that it contributes 5% of annual royalties from certified product sales to the fund, with additional support coming from external donors.
The OSF is structured to support fisheries throughout all stages of the sustainability certification process, particularly those facing ecological or operational challenges.
In addition to helping individual fisheries improve practices, the fund also supports studies on issues like bycatch, marine habitat protection, and the effects of climate change on aquatic ecosystems.
According to MSC, the fund prioritises small-scale and developing-world fisheries through a grant stream called Pathway to Sustainability, which enables these groups to access donor-supported fishery improvement projects (FIPs).
Since 2020, over US$7.2 million (approximately $6.6 million at current exchange rates) has been distributed through annual grants to 144 different fisheries and related projects.
Climate research and regional initiatives
Some of the OSF-supported work includes climate research to assess how global temperature changes could affect fisheries’ ability to meet sustainability standards.
In South Africa, the hake fishery has partnered with a student researcher to explore the frequency and causes of interactions between fishing operations and marine mammals such as orcas and Cape fur seals.
The fund is also backing regional collaborations, such as two multi-stakeholder projects in West Africa supported by the MAVA Foundation, which operate across five countries in the region.
MSC researchers are also identifying specific regions and fisheries where projected climate shifts may make it difficult to maintain sustainable management benchmarks.
These efforts are part of MSC’s broader plan to help fisheries prepare for environmental and operational risks linked to climate and biodiversity changes.
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