Fisheries Program Revisions

The MSC launched the Fisheries Program Revisions to resolve issues identified following publication of Version 3 of the Fisheries Standard. As a result, key aspects of the Standard, Fisheries Certification Process v3.1, and Fisheries Standard Toolbox v1.2 will be revised. 

The revisions proposed intend to provide a clearer and more practical Standard that continues to set a credible and effective framework for environmentally sustainable fishing.

While these revisions are in development, fisheries have been permitted more time to use Version 2.01 of the Standard. Version 2.01 remains a leading measure of fisheries sustainability, as benchmarked by the Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative. 

Find out more about the transition timelines for fisheries. 

Objectives

The Fisheries Program Revisions will focus on the following:

• Ensure requirements deliver intended sustainability outcomes
• Clarify requirements and reduce complexity to ensure assessments are more efficient 
• Improve the applicability and accessibility of the Standard
• Resolve inconsistencies throughout the Standard and associated scheme documents
  

Key topics 

The revisions focus on the following topics: 

• Evidence Requirements Framework and monitoring requirements
• Fisheries Certification Process
  
• Requirements for Endangered, Threatened and Protected species and out-of-scope species.
• Risk-Based Framework
• Use of Section SE for non-tuna fisheries managed by RFMOs

The revisions will also consider the requirements for inseparable and practicably inseparable species and propose a new template to collect vessel list data. Additional clarifications and edits will be made throughout the scheme documents to ensure consistency, clarity and usability. 

Register to attend our webinars

We will hold a series of webinars between 2 and 6 November 2026 to support participation in the public consultation. 

Each webinar will provide an in-depth explanation of a different group of revisions and will discuss the rationale behind the changes proposed. Attendees will also have an opportunity to ask the MSC team questions. 

Please note, each webinar will be repeated to account for different time-zones. Each day there will be one webinar at 07:00 UTC and the same webinar at 16:00 UTC.

What will the webinars cover?

Monday 2 November | Introduction to the Fisheries Program Revisions

• Review process
• Overview of revisions
• Taking part in the survey

Tuesday 3 November | Proposed changes to Principle 2

• Species categorisation and requirements, focusing on endangered, threatened and protected species and out-of-scope species.
• Monitoring thresholds

Wednesday 4 November | Revising key assessment tools

• Evidence Requirements Framework
• Applying Section SE to non-tuna stocks
• Risk-based framework

Thursday 5 November | Fisheries Certification Process (Part 1)

• Traceability and Chain of Custody
• Inseparable and practicably inseparable stocks.
• Other eligible fishers, scope extensions, certificate splitting

Friday 6 November | Fisheries Certification Process (Part 2)

• Harmonisation process
• Scoring
• Milestones for conditions of certification
• Reassessment process

Developing the revisions

A new and more inclusive approach has been taken to develop and test the revisions. This involves collaboration between the MSC, fishery assessors, and representatives from fisheries and eNGOs.

Comprehensive impact assessments and testing is being carried out throughout the process to ensure the proposed changes deliver the intended sustainability outcomes and can be consistently applied.

There are a number of tools available to fully consider the impacts of new requirements. These include:

• Pilot testing: which involves CABs or assessors theoretically applying the proposed changes to real fisheries through a desk-based exercise to confirm they are clear, workable in practice, and achieve their intended purpose. 
• Mock assessments: Mock assessments will consider how specific requirements interact when the proposals are applied to real fisheries. Watch our video below for more information on how mock assessments will be used.
• Stakeholder feedback: Focused interviews with a range of stakeholders from different sectors to seek opinions and suggestions on requirements. Feedback from stakeholder consultations will also feed into the impact assessment process.
  

Next steps

Feedback from the public consultation will be analysed and used to refine the revisions alongside further pilot testing and impact assessments. 

A further 30-day consultation on the final proposals will be held towards the end of the revisions process. 

Milestones

January 2024: 

• The MSC announces intention to carry out technical clarifications to MSC Fisheries Standard Version 3

June 2024:

• Version 3.1 published following technical revisions
• MSC Fisheries Standard Toolbox Review begins (revising the Evidence Requirements Framework and Risk-based Framework)

July 2025

• 60-day public consultation on proposed revisions to the Toolbox: view the Consultation Summary Report from the Toolbox Review (2025)
• The MSC expands scope of revisions and announces the Fisheries Program Revisions
  

October 2026 

• 60-day public consultation on all revisions opens (8 October)
• Mock assessments begin

December 2026

• Public consultation closes (8 December)

April 2027

• 30 day public consultation on final proposals expected

September 2027 

• Expected publication of the MSC Fisheries Standard Version 4

2028

• Version 4 expected to be in effect in early 2028 (6 months after publication)

Transitioning to the updated Standard

The MSC Fisheries Standard Version 4.0, Fisheries Standard Toolbox Version 2.0, and Fisheries Certification Process Version 4.0 are expected to be published in September 2027. All revised documents will come into effect six months after publication (likely early 2028). 

The timelines for transitioning to Version 4.0 of the Standard vary depending on the certification status of the fishery:

1. Certified fisheries: fisheries with a certificate that expires after 1 March 2030 must use Version 4.0 at their next reassessment.
   
2. New fisheries: fisheries entering assessment for the first time must use Version 4.0 from its effective date, which will be six months after publication. 
3. Section SE fisheries: Fisheries that used the Early Application of Section SE process can remain on Version 2.01 until the effective date of Version 4.0 of the Standard, after which they must use the new version of scheme documents at their next reassessment. 
4. Improvement Program fisheries:  
   Fisheries joining the MSC Improvement Program after Version 4.0 is in effect, must use the updated version. 
   
   Fisheries that join the Improvement Program before the Version 4.0 effective date may continue using version 2.01 of the Standard when they enter full assessment, as long as it is before 1 March 2030.
   
   By 1 March 2030 all fisheries in the Improvement Program must either: update their action plans to align with Version 4.0. This may require triggering the ‘exceptional circumstances’ clause – this clause allows for an extension of the five-year action plan timeline by up to three years, if approved by Conformity Assessment Bodies (CABs). OR, enter assessment under v2.01 (if the fishery was in the Improvement Program before the effective date)
   

If you have any questions about the transition timelines and what this means for your fishery, please contact [email protected] or your local MSC representative.