Keep fish on your plate and in the sea, forever
2021 is a chance to make better choices for us, and our planet. Where better to start than with the food that we eat every day. At the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), we’re on a mission to end overfishing so that future generations can enjoy the seafood we love. Together, we work hard with fishers and the industry around the world to ensure that seafood is sustainably caught. All you need to do is to choose the blue fish when shopping or dining out! Small actions such as these, can lead to big changes in helping to preserve our seas, safeguard livelihoods and protect seafood for future generations.
Why is sustainable fishing important?
Over 3.3 billion people around the world get at least 20% of their daily animal protein intake from fish. Yet, recent analysis for the MSC has shown that the world is missing out on nutrition for 72 million people due to overfishing. Over a third of global fish stocks are now fished beyond sustainable limits, and this trend is continuing to worsen. As the global population increases, food production urgently needs to be made sustainable to ensure healthy diets for all.
There is a solution!
Seafood is a key source of nutrients and protein and plays a vital role in the diets of many. When fisheries are managed well, it allows fish stocks and ecosystems to recover, which in turn increases the amount of fish that can be sustainably harvested. If globally adopted, sustainable fishing practises would increase the additional protein available to meet the yearly needs of a population equal to that of the UK and Ireland combined. Choosing seafood with the MSC blue fish ecolabel is just one way for everyone to help preserve our oceans and protect them from overfishing. It’s that easy!
Chef’s Corner
Want to learn about seafood sustainability while also making delicious food? You’re in the right place! Learn from top chef, Charlotte Langley, how you can make positive changes to our oceans right from your kitchen!
Learn how to make great fish burgers
Chef Charlotte Langley shares a great recipe for MSC certified sustainable haddock burgers that's a winner for dinner and the ocean too.
Tuna noodle caboodle
If you’re stuck inside with a cupboard full of cans, there are plenty of dishes you can make using tinned fish. This sustainable tuna noodle caboodle is one of them.
How to find sustainable seafood
Are you curious about what the MSC blue fish ecolabel truly means for sustainability? It means the hard work has already been done by experts in their field, so all you need to do is choose the blue fish.
From Ocean to Plate
How do you know if your seafood is sustainable and good for the ocean? Over 20 years of scientific expertise and proven impacts have made the MSC the most recognized program for wild-capture sustainable seafood in the world. But don’t take our word for it. Hear what it takes from the fishers themselves!
Sustainably fishing for hake off the Cornish coast
Do you know what it takes to sustainably fish for hake? Watch hake fisherman, Ryan Davey, and his crew of seven battle the elements for a week at sea as they search for hake 100 miles off the Cornish coast.
Poole Harbour clam and cockles
"If there’s no sustainability there’s no fishing.” Meet Tommy Russell from the MSC certified clam and cockle fishery in Poole Harbour explaining why sustainability is so important to them.
Sustainably harvesting mussels in Shetland’s pristine waters
Do you know what it takes to sustainably harvest mussels? Watch a day in the life of brothers, Christopher and Marvin, harvesting mussels in Shetland’s pristine waters.
The Blue Cookbook
Ten delicious and sustainable seafood recipes. Ten chefs from around the world. Fascinating ocean species facts…all in our new Blue Cookbook!
View and download for freeAll about sustainability
What is sustainable fishing?
Sustainable fishing means leaving enough fish in the sea, respecting habitats and ensuring that our oceans are healthy for future generations.
What does the MSC blue fish ecolabel mean?
Wild, traceable, sustainable: the blue fish ecolabel is only applied to wild fish or seafood from fisheries that have been certified to the MSC Fisheries Standard, a science-based set of requirements for sustainable fishing.
Ocean Lives
The best way to understand the impact of the MSC program is through those involved. Read about the passionate people taking care of our oceans.
Little Blue Label, Big Blue Future
The seafood you choose is part of something bigger… The tuna we tuck into, the shellfish we share with friends, the fish fingers we cook for our children. They can all help protect a whole ecosystem.
The MSC Approach
Our approach means everyone can play a part in safeguarding the future of our oceans and seafood supplies, while enjoying seafood. When you buy a product with our blue fish label, you become part of a virtuous circle, helping to protect the productivity and health of our oceans. Here’s how it works:
- Fisheries that meet the MSC Fisheries Standard are independently certified as sustainable
- Retailers and restaurants choose MSC certified sustainable seafood
- A traceable supply chain assures consumers that only seafood from an MSC certified fishery is sold with the MSC blue fish ecolabel
- Consumers purchase seafood with the MSC blue fish ecolabel
- Market demand for MSC certified seafood increases
- More fisheries choose to improve their practices and volunteer to be assessed against the MSC Fisheries Standard
What you can do!
It’s so important to keep our seas and oceans teeming with life and it’s easy for you to help – just look for the MSC blue fish ecolabel when you buy seafood, to help preserve our oceans and protect seafood for future generations. Choosing the blue fish means your seafood is certified as sustainable and traceable.
For a list of all UK retailers and brands that stock MSC labelled products, head here. You can also buy MSC certified fish and chips from chippies around the UK and Ireland, and many restaurants also have options. If they don’t, why not ask them!
Marine Stewardship Council
The Marine Stewardship Council is an international non-profit organisation on a mission to end overfishing. It uses its ecolabel and fishery certification program to recognise and reward efforts to protect oceans and safeguard seafood supplies for the future. The MSC ecolabel provides an easy way to find and choose certified sustainable seafood.
Find out more on msc.org
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