The MSC conditions log

The MSC conditions log is a dataset that contains information on the conditions set for all MSC fisheries that have been assessed and certified since 1 April 2015. This information is already publicly available in fishery assessment reports on the MSC track a fishery website, but to increase transparency and make the information easier to find we have collated it into a single downloadable Excel file.

What is a condition of certification?

When fisheries are assessed against the MSC Fisheries Standard they are scored against three principles: the sustainability of the stock, environmental impacts and fishery management.

There are 28 performance indicators which sit under the three principles and fisheries are assigned a score for each performance indicator.

There are three score levels: minimum acceptable performance (60), global best practice (80) and state of the art (100).

To get MSC certification a fishery must score at least the minimum acceptable performance score (60) on all performance indicators. In addition, fisheries must also score an average best practice score of 80 across all performance indicators under each of the three principles.

If a fishery scores between 60 and 79 on any performance indicator it receives a condition of certification. This means the fishery must implement an action plan to actively work towards achieving a best practice score of at least 80 at the next assessment.

If a fishery does not make the improvements that are set out in a condition, they will be suspended from the MSC program. Conditions are set by the independent Conformity Assessment Body (CAB), not the MSC.

What data is in the conditions log?

The conditions log contains information extracted from Public Certification Reports on conditions that have been set for fisheries that were assessed and certified against the MSC Fisheries Standard v2.0 since 1 April 2015.

How often is the data updated?

The MSC aims to update the log annually. The log contains the status of conditions as of the date given in the file. It does not include the live status of conditions or information on the progress fisheries are making to close conditions.

From 2020, due to the global pandemic, allowances have been made for extensions to timeline related to fishery assessments, including conditions, considering the impact of Covid-19. Please note that not all timelines are up to date, these will be updated at the next scheduled audit for each fishery. The log has not been updated in 2020 due to this.

Data categories

You can find the following information in the log:

Conformity Assessment Body: this is the body that assesses fisheries against the MSC Fisheries Standard.

Performance indicator: a sub-division on the principles of the MSC Fisheries Standard. In an assessment, a fishery is scored against 28 performance indicators.

Condition: a requirement to achieve a score of 80 or above for a performance indicator. This is set by the assessment team and is written in line with the performance indicator scoring guideposts.

Condition status: status of the condition at the time the log was last updated. Current condition status can be found in individual surveillance reports. 

Milestones: Milestones are set by the assessment team and are the measurable improvements and outcomes fisheries are expected to meet each year. Fisheries may have different milestones for the same performance indicator because the assessment team must consider the local context of the fishery.

Client Action Plan: Written by the fishery, the client action plan includes information on how the fishery will meet the condition milestones to increase their performance.

Download the conditions log

Download the conditions log - CSV (2830 Kb)

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