Have you ever looked closely at your tuna tin and found a label or seal on it? There are around 20 labels in circulation for fish and seafood products. They contain the word ‘sustainable’ or come from ASC (Aquaculture Stewardship Council), MSC (Marine Stewardship Council or others.
Unfortunately, it is not obvious what the organisations value when awarding them – and the criteria vary greatly. Furthermore, whether certified aquaculture or fisheries actually comply with the requirements is rarely and not independently checked. If you have the choice between products with and without labels, we still recommend choosing the labelled products. After all, producers of labelled products adhere to certain standards. However, labels do not necessarily deliver what you might expect from them. For example, there is currently no label that guarantees good fish welfare as envisaged by fair‑fish. Fisheries labels often only cover selected species and specific regions. There are also examples where the label is already awarded when the industry promises improvements but the standards are still far from being met. In some cases, fishing for fish stocks that researchers consider to be endangered is also awarded the label.
With regard to sustainability, the Good Fish Guide of the Marine Conservation Society provides better advice: scientific data is used to assess how sustainable the consumption of certain fishes and seafood is. However, it is worth bearing in mind that the welfare of individual fishes is not factored into these assessments.
The fish with the most credible “label” remains the one caught by a knowledgeable angler and immediately stunned and killed properly and ethically.
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