Updated 10 July 2025
The MSC Fisheries Standard is designed to be applied to all wild-capture fisheries. However, tuna fisheries can face specific barriers to meeting our requirements, particularly relating to the adoption of harvest strategies for stocks managed across multiple jurisdictions.
Following the recent Fisheries Standard Review, which ended in 2022, there were changes to requirements – many of which have implications for tuna fisheries, and other fisheries managed by regional fisheries management organisations (RFMOs). These are described below.
However since we published Version 3 of the Standard, there has been feedback and concerns that some aspects of our requirements and the new Evidence Requirements Framework are complex and unclear.
We are working to address these issues and have made significant progress.
In June 2025, we announced the following:
- A public consultation on proposed revisions to the Evidence Requirements Framework and Risk-based Framework (open between 10 July –and 10 September).
- Our intention to carry out additional, targeted revisions to key areas of the Standard, Fisheries Certification Process, and other related documents.
- An extension to both the publication date for the updated version of the Standard and associated documents, and the timelines for fisheries to use this version.
These changes will impact tuna fisheries – particularly those applying Section SE. Find out more about the changes below.
How does our Standard address sustainability challenges faced by tuna fisheries?
The Standard includes new and updated requirements in five important areas which have particular relevance to tuna fisheries:
- Shark finning
Tuna fisheries often interact with sharks. The MSC’s requirements already prohibit shark finning within certified fisheries. To give greater confidence that shark finning is not taking place, the new requirements mandate a Fins Naturally Attached (FNA) policy for all certified fisheries that retain sharks. - Lost FADs
Fishing with Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs) makes tuna fishing more efficient but can have negative environmental impacts. Technological advances such as satellite tracking, using biodegradable materials and designing non-entangling FADs, mean that these impacts can be reduced. The new Standard includes new requirements for managing the prevention and reducing the impact of lost FADs and other types of fishing gear. - Impacts on endangered, threatened and protected (ETP) species
Like most fishing activities, tuna fisheries often encounter endangered, protected or threatened (ETP) species. New requirements will ensure such species are consistently classified as ETP and afforded greater protections by certified fisheries. - Higher levels of monitoring and surveillance
Tuna fisheries spend long periods at sea making it more challenging for land-based authorities to monitor their activities. Fisheries managed by Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs), which include purse seine and longline tuna fisheries, will now be required to increase levels of surveillance, if not already sufficient. - Multijurisdictional fisheries management
One of the most important changes for tuna fisheries is a set of new requirements for fisheries managed by RFMOs to deliver state of the art harvest strategies. These management measures are essential to ensuring the long-term sustainability of shared tuna stocks by providing a pre-agreed harvest objective and a ‘safety-net’ to reduce catch if stocks begin to decline. Agreement on harvest strategies has been notoriously difficult to achieve, requiring alignment between multiple states representing their own national interests.
What are the harvest strategies requirements?
We have introduced a new set of requirements (Section SE) to incentivise the development and implementation of harvest strategies and harvest control rules.
In recognition of the time it takes for RFMOs to develop and implement harvest strategies, RFMO-managed fisheries have been permitted additional time to resolve related conditions of certification. Fisheries will be set pre-defined milestones to deliver state-of-the art harvest strategies (a score of SG100) by the end of the process. This represents a significant increase in the performance required for fisheries to meet our requirements.
Fisheries targeting stocks that have not been certified before, now have up to 10 years to implement state of the art harvest strategies.
Fisheries with previously certified stocks can adopt the new Principle 1 requirements (Section SE) ahead of their next reassessment (Early Application of Section SE) and will be given up to five additional years to deliver the new level of performance required for harvest strategies. This on the basis that the following criteria are met:
- There must be majority agreement from all fisheries on a certified stock to undertake early application of the new requirements.
- All certified fisheries targeting the same stock will be put on the same timeline for delivering state-of-the-art harvest strategies, creating a unified effort to influence RFMO decisions.
- All fisheries that undertake early application of Section SE will be assessed to Version 3.1 of the Standard at their next reassessment. This means adopting of all other requirements including those for FADs, shark finning, ETP and monitoring.
Why were new requirements for harvest strategies needed?
Tuna stocks are migratory and stocks are shared by many different nations. RFMOs are responsible for developing and implementing stock-wide harvest strategies and harvest control rules, but this has been difficult to achieve and progress is often slow.
Even when harvest control rules have been agreed by RFMOs, the absence of catch limit mechanisms has meant that they have not always been successful in reducing catches or fishing effort in line with scientific advice when a stock has begun to decline.
Against the background of MSC certification, the lack of effective harvest strategies and harvest control rules can lead to the loss of MSC certification – even if a stock is currently healthy. This impacts the ability of our program to drive improvements across all aspects of a fishery and secure the long-term sustainability for RFMO-managed stocks.
A revised approach to implementing Version 3
Further testing and feedback from stakeholders after the launch of Version 3 raised concerns about the functioning of some aspects of the Standard.
We are currently addressing these issues, including:
- Amendments to technical issues: (published as version 3.1 in July 2024)
- Fisheries Program Revisions: This includes a review of the MSC Fisheries Standard Toolbox, focused on the Evidence Requirements Framework and Risk-Based Framework, and additional, targeted revisions to the Standard and other key program documents.
Find out how the planned revisions could impact tuna fisheries below.
Adopting the updated Standard
To ensure the necessary revisions can be made and thoroughly tested, the deadlines for fisheries transitioning to Version 3 have been extended.
As of June 2025, this now includes tuna fisheries that used early application of Section SE.
Section SE fisheries can now use Version 2.01 until the effective date of the next version of the Standard, likely October 2027. The updated version must then be used by these fisheries at during assessment or next reassessment after the effective date.
Find out more about how we are updating our Standard and transition timelines for all fisheries.
What amendments have been made to Version 3?
In June 2024, we published Version 3.1 of our Standard, which resolved many of the technical issues identified in Version 3.
These amendments do not change the level of performance required for fisheries to meet our requirements.
However, we have clarified requirements, including the assessment of gear loss and ghost fishing and the definition of ‘shark’ in the assessment of shark finning. We have also made the process for classifying species under Principle 2 more
efficient.
Updated versions of the Standard (v3.1) and the MSC Fisheries Standard Toolbox (v1.2) were published on 22 July 2024. These documents will supersede the previous versions
and be available for use immediately.
Download the summary of amendments below.
What is the Evidence Requirements Framework Review?
The Evidence Requirements Framework was introduced in Version 3 to provide a new method to evaluate the information used during a fishery assessment. However, feedback from independent assessors highlighted that it is overly complex and difficult to apply in practice.
An external panel of fishery assessment experts are reviewing the Framework and have made recommendations for changes where needed. These changes may alter the level of performance required to meet our requirements.
Consultation
A consultation on the proposed revisions to the Evidence Requirements Framework is currently open. This is part of the Fisheries Standard Toolbox Review, which also includes revisions to the Risk-based Framework.
Find out more about the review of the Evidence Requirements Framework
Which version of the Standard should be used by fisheries that have applied Section SE?
Fisheries that have used early application of SE can remain on Fisheries Standard Version 2.01 until the updated version is in effect (likely October 2027), which will be six months after its publication date.
Fisheries targeting stocks where Section SE has been applied early will have to use the updated version at their full or next reassessment after the effective date.
Can fisheries still use early application of section SE?
Fisheries can enter early assessment against the Section SE requirements until the effective date of the updated Standard following the Fisheries Program Revisions (likely October 2027).
Those wanting to undertake early application of Section SE should inform their CAB.
Why has MSC changed its position and allowed Section SE fisheries more time on v2.01?
Early application of Section SE gives fisheries managed by RFMOs additional time to resolve conditions of certification relating to harvest strategies. However, this was only permitted on the basis that these fisheries adopt all Version 3.1 requirements at their next reassessment – this is intended to counterbalance the additional time given to resolve conditions relating to harvest strategies.
However, as more information has been gathered about the way v3.1 is being implemented, several issues have been identified which impact tuna fisheries. This includes the threshold for negligible interactions, which may be excluding potentially important species from assessments.
We are committed to addressing these key issues before requiring fisheries to use an updated version of the Standard.
Fisheries will continue to use v2.01of our Standard, which remains the leading and most rigorous sustainable fishing standard available globally.
Consultation on Toolbox Revisions
This includes revisions to the Evidence Requirements Framework and Risk-based Framework.
