| Summary: | This report shows how the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and its certification program contributes to the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (Ocean Decade hereafter) by driving sustainable fishing. Unsustainable fishing is a major global challenge and pressure on our oceans is increasing. At the same time greenhouse gas emissions and climate change are having a severe impact on our oceans, not least in the Arctic region where ocean warming is happening three times faster than the global average. These changes are expected to have profound effects. However, if we manage the oceans carefully and fish responsibly, we can still enjoy marine resources in the future. Many fisheries around the globe have already shown that they operate sustainably and have achieved MSC certification following the MSC Standard for sustainable fishing. But many more fisheries have yet to demonstrate their sustainability. They are invited to enter the MSC program to document their sustainability and to continuously improve their performance in line with best practice in fisheries management. To achieve the MSC Standard, fisheries must demonstrate a level of performance consistent with internationally accepted scientific knowledge and fisheries management best practice. Through the process, the MSC program ensures that fisheries continuously develop towards global best practice and encourages them to further develop new ways of conserving marine resources for future generations. This supports the UN Ocean Decade vision of “The science we need for the ocean we want.” The MSC sets globally recognised standards for fisheries’ sustainability and supply chain assurance, based on the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). By working with and rewarding sustainable fisheries, the MSC program contributes to the challenge of feeding the world’s population under changing environmental, social and climate conditions. This major goal is also in line with aims of ...
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