The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)[i] Annual Report for 2006/07 published today presented the following figures for the year to 31 March 2007:
• Six new fisheries achieved certification bringing the total to 22.
> Today there are 24.
• 18 different species were certified, and a further eight were in assessment including saithe, sardine, tuna, crab and flounder.
> Since 1 April 2007, 11 fisheries have announced they are seeking MSC certification.
• Close to four million tonnes of fish were either certified or in assessment, representing seven per cent of the world’s edible seafood catch.
> Now the figure is over four million.
• The number of businesses that trade in MSC-certified fish rose from 237 to 433 – all within an audited, traceable supply chain.
> The list includes new retail names such as Aeon, Aldi, Costco, Lidl, Sam’s Club, and Target.
• The number of seafood products displaying the MSC label hit 500 and kept rising. Over the year there was a 76 per cent rise in MSC-labelled products.
> Today there are close to 1,000 products carrying the MSC label in 35 countries.
• The global retail value of MSC-labelled seafood was over half a billion dollars ($509,885,254)[ii]
> This represents a 116 per cent increase on last year’s figure ($235,661,285).
• Visits to the MSC’s website increased by 60 per cent over the year. The MSC launched a new website www.fishandkids.org targeting children and schools.
