Saving Seafood

Global wild-caught shrimp making progress on sustainability, but still face challenges

September 1, 2026 — Over the last two decades, the percentage of the world’s shrimp supply coming from wild-caught fisheries has gradually taken up a smaller piece of the pie.

The most recent statistics on wild-caught shrimp place it at 29 percent of the world’s total supply of shrimp, and of that, one-third of global catch is taken up by China, with India’s production also rapidly growing. According to the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), which shared the info during the Wild-Caught Shrimp Summit it hosts alongside the Global Shrimp Forum in Utrecht, Netherlands, more and more of those fisheries are beginning to take up MSC certification.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

MSC annual report highlights record year for seafood certification program

August 29, 2026 — A record number of fisheries re-certified to the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) standard in the past year, according to the organization’s latest annual report.

The MSC is closing in on 30 years in existence, having formed in 1997 as a nonprofit organization before launching the MSC Fisheries Standard in 1998. Since that time, the organization has continued growing; according to its annual report, it recently reached 789 fisheries engaged in the program, an increase of 7 percent year over year, with 600 certified to the MSC Fishery Standard and a record 115 re-certifications in the past year.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Amazon greenwashing lawsuit drags dialogue around certification overreliance back into the spotlight

August 24, 2026 — After the filing of another seafood greenwashing lawsuit recently, suppliers, retailers, and restaurants are yet again evaluating the best ways to market their products.

In late July, a class-action lawsuit was filed targeting retail giant Amazon, alleging that several seafood brands selling on the platform and associated retailers misleadingly use sustainability claims on several products bearing Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Lawsuit accuses Amazon of false seafood sustainability claims, greenwashing

August 3, 2026 — A new class-action lawsuit is targeting Amazon, alleging that several seafood brands selling on the platform and associated retailers misleadingly use sustainability claims on several products bearing Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification.

According to the complaint, which was filed 31 July in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, allegedly misleading claims on such brands as 365 by Whole Foods Market, Bumble Bee, Starkist, Chicken of the Sea, Fishwife, and others include “dolphin safe,” “sustainable,” “responsibly sourced,” and “traceable.”

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Alaska challenges MSC certification of Russian pollock

July 10, 2026 — Alaska fisheries officials are calling on the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) to reject the recertification of Russia’s Western Bering Sea pollock fishery, arguing the fishery fails to meet the conservation standards routinely required of U.S. fishermen while competing directly with Alaska pollock in global markets.

The request comes as MSC considers formal objections to the fishery’s five-year recertification. According to IntraFish, Alaska Department of Fish and Game Commissioner Doug Vincent-Lang submitted a July 1 letter urging MSC Chief Executive Rupert Howes to halt the recertification, following a formal objection filed by the At-sea Processors Association (APA). MSC expects a decision on the objection during the week of July 13.

In his letter, Vincent-Lang argued consumers purchasing seafood bearing the MSC ecolabel often assume the product was harvested responsibly, despite what he described as significant shortcomings in the Russian fishery’s management.

“For the last five years, the MSC has provided products originating from the WBS (Western Bering Sea) pollock fishery with full access to the most widely recognized sustainability certification in global seafood,” Vincent-Lang wrote. “During this time, WBS pollock has been sold around the world to unwitting consumers who see the MSC ecolabel and believe that their purchases must be ethical.”

He argued the Western Bering Sea fishery lacks “no credible harvest strategy, no bycatch avoidance measures, and no benthic habitat protections whatsoever,” while questioning how the fishery’s previous certification conditions were considered satisfied.

Read the full article at National Fisherman

Half of U.S. Seafood Consumers Believe Oceans Can Be Saved From Irreparable Damage Over Next 20 Years

June 10, 2026 — New consumer data from the Marine Stewardship Council show increased belief that seafood choices matter for ocean health, desire for independent environmental verification.

New data from the world’s largest survey of more than 20,500 seafood consumers has revealed increased awareness and optimism about the state of the world’s oceans. The consumer research was undertaken by independent research company GlobeScan commissioned by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), a global environmental nonprofit focused on wild fisheries sustainability. The research shows stronger belief that we will have saved the oceans from irreparable damage, compared to two years ago when the research was last conducted.

The survey results also shows that U.S. consumers are improving their understanding of challenges facing our fisheries. While 58% of Americans correctly identified that overfishing is more widespread today than it was 50 years ago, 17% wrongly thought fish populations can never recover from overfishing, and a further 25% were unsure.

Read the full article at the Marine Stewardship Council

US senators expand inquiry into shrimp imports, sending questions to certification bodies

June 1, 2026 — U.S. senators have expanded their inquiry into imported shrimp, which they claim “poses serious risks to families’ health,” sending questions to three of the largest seafood certification bodies.

Together, U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana) and U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) have sent a list of questions to the Global Seafood Alliance, the Marine Stewardship Council, and the Aquaculture Stewardship Council.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Atlantic Menhaden Recertified for Another Five Years as a Marine Stewardship Council Sustainable Fishery

May 5, 2026 — The Atlantic menhaden fishery has been recertified as sustainable according to Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) standards. The recertification once again confirms that the fishery is environmentally sustainable and effectively managed.

The Marine Stewardship Council is the international gold standard for seafood sustainability and has one of the most rigorous certification programs in the world. All fisheries certified under the MSC benchmarks must undergo an independent third-party audit to confirm that they adhere to MSC standards.

MSC evaluates fisheries according to 28 separate sustainability criteria. These criteria are divided among three principles: the sustainability of the fishery, whether the fishery has minimized its environmental impact, and the effectiveness of its management. In order to be certified, fisheries must achieve a score of at least 60 on all 28 criteria. The fishery averaged a score of more than 80 for all three of the principles measured, scoring an 86.7 on the health of the species, 82.0 on its ecosystem impacts, and 96.3 on its management system.

Three companies, Ocean Harvesters and Omega Protein in Virginia, and Lund’s Fisheries in New Jersey, represent the ‘client group’ supporting  this MSC assessment.

“Our operations are focused on ensuring that everything we do is sustainable and based on ecologically sound management practices, and this recertification reflects that,” said Ben Landry, Vice President of Public Affairs for Ocean Fleet Services. “The Atlantic menhaden fishery is one of the most sustainable fisheries on the East Coast, and with this recertification, we will continue to be good stewards of the Chesapeake Bay and the resource.”

The Atlantic menhaden fishery was first certified in 2019. MSC-certified fisheries are required to undergo the recertification process regularly to ensure that they still meet the organization’s high standards.

“For nearly ten years, Lund’s Fisheries has collaborated with the MSC to assure domestic and international markets, vitally important to our long-term success, that the seafood we produce is managed sustainably based on the rigorous, annual, scientific and monitoring reviews that are the core of the MSC program.” said Wayne Reichle, President of Lund’s Fisheries.

The menhaden fishery operates primarily in Virginia and in federal waters off the coast of New Jersey. In Virginia, where the fishery has operated out of Reedville since the 1870s, the menhaden purse seine fishery harvests menhaden for use in marine ingredients such as fish meal and fish oil. In New Jersey, the purse seine fishery operating out of Cape May is a key source for menhaden used as bait in the Atlantic lobster and crab fisheries and Gulf crab and crawfish fisheries. Both fisheries are integral to their local fishing economies and coastal communities.

This MSC recertification reflects the most recent science on the health of the Atlantic menhaden resource and confirms that the fishery is being managed sustainably, for the future. According to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, the interstate body that manages menhaden, the species is not overfished, and overfishing is not occurring.

About the Menhaden Fisheries Coalition

The Menhaden Fisheries Coalition (MFC) is a collective of menhaden fishermen, related businesses, and supporting industries. Comprised of businesses along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, the Menhaden Fisheries Coalition conducts media and public outreach on behalf of the menhaden industry to ensure that members of the public, media, and government are informed of important issues, events, and facts about the fishery.

Accountability Certified: Louisiana’s Most Scrutinized Fishery Just Got Recertified Sustainable. Here’s What the Science Actually Shows.

April 6, 2026 — The Gulf menhaden fishery has earned its first recertification from the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) – the world’s leading certification body for sustainable fisheries – reaffirming its environmental performance and science-based management following a rigorous, multi-year independent audit.

The MSC is the world’s leading certification body for sustainable fisheries, and the 2026 recertification provides third-party verification that the fishery continues to meet the highest standards for sustainability, ecosystem health, and effective management. MSC certifications are valid for five years, with annual surveillance audits to ensure ongoing compliance. A full recertification – including public comment and the opportunity for objections – is required every five years. The fishery was first certified in 2019.

The MSC process is exhaustive, examining every dimension of the fishery’s performance: stock health, bycatch rates, environmental impacts, and regulatory oversight. Fisheries must meet strict scoring thresholds across all categories, with any deficiencies requiring time-bound corrective action.

The Marine Stewardship Council is an independent, international nonprofit organization that sets the world’s leading standard for sustainable fishing. Its certification program is science-based, globally recognized, and relies on third-party auditors, transparent public input, and continuous monitoring to ensure fisheries meet the highest benchmarks for environmental performance and accountability.

The Gulf menhaden fishery successfully addressed all conditional scores from its first certification, demonstrating continuous, measurable improvement.

Read the full article at The Advocate

Gulf menhaden earns MSC recertification, citing low bycatch and strong stock health

April 1, 2026 — The Gulf menhaden fishery has secured recertification from the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), reaffirming what industry leaders say is a track record of strong stock health, low bycatch, and science-based management.

According to a March 30 release from Ocean Harvesters and Westbank Fishing, the recertification follows a multi-year independent audit and confirms the fishery continues to meet MSC’s standards for sustainability, ecosystem impact, and oversight.

Read the full article at National Fisherman