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The scoring of a fishery against the MSC standard has two key posts, a score of 60 and 80. In relation to stock levels -- the example used by the authors of the Nature piece -- the 60 score represents the precautionary limit for sustainability.

A score of 60 and above indicates that the stock is not overfished and is at a sustainable level, as defined by the 2009 United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (UN FAO) guidelines for eco-labeling of fish and fishery products. A fishery must be able to demonstrate it is sustainable by meeting this score in order to be MSC certified.

The MSC program demands additional precaution and sets a target level for the stock which equates to a score of 80. If a fishery is scored between 60 and 80 for its stock level, the fishery must take action to increase the score to the target 80 within a set period of time. If the fishery fails to reach this target, it can lose its certification.

This higher level further reduces the risk of the stock -- which could be being depleted because of natural fluctuations -- falling below sustainable levels and allows the fishery sufficient time to respond to new data on stock levels and implement any necessary changes to ensure that the stock can move back up to the higher target level.

Stock abundance is a key indicator of the sustainability of a fishery but further rigor is built into the MSC standard by scoring the fishery against a total of thirty one performance indicators. If the score for any one of these indicators is less than 60 the fishery would fail.

Outcome-based system

The authors express their opinion that fisheries that use bottom trawls or utilize the catch for the production of fishmeal should not be viewed as responsible and sustainable. The MSC program does not prescribe gear types or specify the final use of the fishery products. Instead, as an outcome-based program, it requires all fisheries seeking to be certified meet the science-based principles and criteria of the MSC standard that together are a measure of the status of the stock, the level of impact on the environment, and the management system the fishery has in place.

The ‘open’ approach of the MSC program meets the requirement of the guidelines of the UN FAO for a global certification and eco-label program for fish products. Consequently, the program is open to all fisheries to be assessed against the rigorous, science-based standard.

The MSC is ambitious about achieving change in management practices where it is needed and driving progress towards sustainability across all types of fisheries and it will do so, not by excluding fisheries from the program, but by encouraging them to participate.

Checks and balances ensure a credible and objective assessment

The MSC program is highly transparent and participatory, and from the outset of the assessment, stakeholders with an interest in the fishery are invited to take part in the assessment and submit information to the expert scientific team.

The MSC methodology requires certifiers to justify the conclusions reached for every score awarded to the fishery under assessment. Once the assessment team has completed its scoring of the fishery, its findings are subject to peer review by at least two independent scientists. Any comments from the peer reviewers must be fully addressed and placed on the public record.

Following the peer review, a Public Comment Draft Report is made available to all stakeholders involved in the assessment for further review and analysis. The certifier is required to address, in writing, and place on the record, any concerns and questions raised at this stage.

Only after this process has been completed does the certifier issue a final report and determination on the outcome of the assessment. At this stage, stakeholders have the opportunity to lodge an objection.

The value and purpose of the objections procedure

The ability of stakeholders to file an appeal of the certifier's conclusions is a unique and robust feature of the MSC program. The purpose of the objections procedure is to provide a structured and independent review to ensure that a certifier has followed the correct procedures; has taken into account all the relevant information; and has provided a clear rationale for each score awarded. The ruling on an objection is decided by an Independent Adjudicator, not the MSC. The objections procedure is therefore the last in a series of checks and balances which ensures the outcome of a fishery assessment is scientifically valid.

The FAO guidelines mentioned above require that objectors bear the costs of the appeal. The MSC encourages participation in the objection procedure and has recently reduced the upper limit on costs from £15,000 (€18,000/$23,000) to £5,000 (€6,000/$7,700) to help ensure access to the procedure by all stakeholders.

In addition, objectors that lack financial resources may qualify for a total exemption from these costs. Stakeholder participation in the objections procedure has resulted in some cases in fishery scores being reduced to below 80, and as a result, management plans specifying measurable improvements incorporated into the final certification decision.

Ongoing development of methodology and governance

The MSC is continually developing its methods, both technically and in the area of governance and policy and it does this in conjunction with a wide community of stakeholders. Some recent examples include new guidance on assessing low trophic level fisheries; developing a means of assessing data-poor and small-scale fisheries to extend the program more effectively into diverse economies and regions; and changes to the fisheries certification methodology requiring certifiers to make explicit, written responses to all stakeholder comments submitted during assessments. The purpose of this ongoing work -- to which the MSC Board is committed -- is to ensure the quality and consistency of all fishery assessments.

Environmental and market impact of the MSC program

The MSC program seeks to motivate change and improvement in fishing practices through market rewards for sustainable practices. The MSC accepts the need to continue to demonstrate the effectiveness of its program to all its stakeholders: it has, for example, commissioned scientific research which will, when complete, provide the most comprehensive analysis to date of the environmental impacts of fishery certification.

The rigor, credibility and scientific consensus underpinning the MSC standard and methodology has, since 1999, encouraged significant support from fisheries, NGOs, the supply chain, governments and others that has helped create a global market for sustainable seafood that today accounts for 7 percent of total wild-capture landings. There is a growing evidence base that certification is driving positive change in the way the world’s oceans are fished, as well as helping more consumers make sustainable seafood choices.