ABSTRACT
Pressure on oceans has never been higher, creating serious challenges for the resilience of marine ecosystems and sustaining millions of livelihoods. This chapter examines an initiative intent on ameliorating some of these challenges, particularly the threats to global fish stocks (Pauly et al. 2003). The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), formed by Unilever and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), is a globally important certification programme for ocean-caught fisheries. By June 2010, 208 fisheries were undergoing full assessment with the programme; another 82 are already certified. 1 Midway through 2009, the MSC reported that fishing operations engaged with the programme accounted for six million tonnes of production, roughly 6 per cent of the world's wild capture, and that thousands of MSC-labelled products are now for sale (MSC 2009). Still, questions remain about what the MSC does for marine conservation and the livelihoods of small fishing communities.
