The growth of marine fisheries ecolabelling in Southern and Eastern Africa: Potential benefits and challenges

This policy brief examines the role and effectiveness of voluntary marine fisheries eco-labelling initiatives in Southern and Eastern Africa, specifically comparing the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and Friends of the Sea (FOS).

• There is currently a lack of sufficient evidence to prove that the growth of voluntary eco-labelling initiatives is achieving success in the region.
• The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), headquartered in London, is the global leader in fisheries certification. Its process involves fisheries paying accredited bodies for evaluations based on sustainability criteria, a process that can exceed one year and requires annual audits and re-certification every five years. The total value of MSC-certified products is US$1billion, and major retailers in North America, Europe, and Asia have committed to sourcing these products, with Walmart aiming to sell only MSC-certified products by 2011.
• Friends of the Sea (FOS), based in Italy and developed by the Earth Island Institute, certifies both farmed and wild-caught fish. While FOS has certified a higher volume of fish exports—approximately 10 billion tonnes—it lacks the retail influence of the MSC because its assessment process is viewed as less rigorous, briefer, and cheaper.

APA

Standing, A. (n.d.). The growth of marine fisheries ecolabelling in Southern and Eastern Africa: Potential benefits and challenges. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.org/research/policy-brief/the-growth-of-marine-fisheries-ecolabelling-in-southern-and-eastern-africa-potential-benefits-and-challenges

Chicago

Standing, Andre. The growth of marine fisheries ecolabelling in Southern and Eastern Africa: Potential benefits and challenges. Institute for Security Studies, n.d. https://issafrica.org/research/policy-brief/the-growth-of-marine-fisheries-ecolabelling-in-southern-and-eastern-africa-potential-benefits-and-challenges.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Standing |first1=Andre |title=The growth of marine fisheries ecolabelling in Southern and Eastern Africa: Potential benefits and challenges |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |url=https://issafrica.org/research/policy-brief/the-growth-of-marine-fisheries-ecolabelling-in-southern-and-eastern-africa-potential-benefits-and-challenges |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{standingndgrowth, author = {Standing, Andre}, title = {{The growth of marine fisheries ecolabelling in Southern and Eastern Africa: Potential benefits and challenges}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://issafrica.org/research/policy-brief/the-growth-of-marine-fisheries-ecolabelling-in-southern-and-eastern-africa-potential-benefits-and-challenges}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }