Your Monthly Regulations Radar: MSC and ASC Certifications - February 2025

On this page

• Marine-Derived Ingredients in a Blue Economy
• The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)
  • How to get certified
• The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC)
  • How to get certified
• Christine's Takeaways
• Navigating Global Cosmetics Regulations

Marine-Derived Ingredients in a Blue Economy

Marine cosmetic ingredients e.g., seaweed, algae and sea minerals have emerged as innovative and environmentally "friendly" ingredients for skin care as an approach to address greenhouse gasses. According to the Oxford dictionary, the term "blue economy" refers to an "economic system or sector that seeks to conserve marine and freshwater environments while using them in a sustainable way to develop economic growth". There exist voluntary programs that provide a certification that indicate a commitment to sustainable practices. There are two types of certifications that provide ecolabel logos recognized by consumers as indicators of sustainable seafood. These include Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC), with MSC focusing on wild-caught fisheries and the ASC focusing on aquaculture farms. Both require companies to meet specific standards for traceability and responsible practices through the supply chain. In addition, both certifications require third-party audits to verify compliance. They will be briefly discussed below. 

The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) 

MSC is an independent not-for-profit that was set up by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), previously called World Wildlife Fund, and Unilever more than 20 years ago. WWF was founded in 1961 and is an environmental organization that works to protect endangered species. The goal of the Marine Stewardship Council is to minimize overfishing while protecting habitats. The MSC has created an internationally-recognized standard for fisheries' environmental performance and built a transparent system to assess fisheries against this standard using incentives provided by the market. In doing so, the MSC has provided a global framework for encouraging fisheries to improve towards sustainability and has significantly contributed to ocean conservation in that time. Additionally, the MSC's chain of custody requirements have helped to ensure the traceability, legality, and transparency of many fisheries.

While the MSC certification is performed by third party auditors, some conservation organizations have expressed concern that the certification process is not always approached with the most scientific rigor, and that decisions to certify a fishery may be influenced by a fishing association's willingness to pay for the certification. For these reasons, organizations like the World Wide Fund for Nature have advocated for greater oversight and transparency over the MSC's certification process. 

In 2018, WWF expressed concerns regarding the certification of the Northeastern Tropical Pacific tuna. WWF had previously objected to this certification proposal due to its belief that the impact of the fishery on depleted dolphin populations has not been sufficiently examined and addressed, therefore not meeting the MSC standard. In 2021, the MSC hit the headlines again, when the controversial Netflix documentary Seaspiracy accused it of certifying fisheries with a high level of "bycatch"—whereby species such as dolphins and turtles are caught in fishing nets—and said its certification was too easily achieved as reported by The Guardian.

While the MSC helped create a widely used environmental standard for fisheries, as it enters its third decade, and the world's oceans bear increasing pressure, the MSC must continue to ensure that its standard stays consistent with current science and global best practice. This means that its environmental performance indicators must fully measure the health and integrity of target fish stocks as well as all the other species and wider marine ecosystems that fisheries affect. Additionally, the MSC assessment methods must ensure and safeguard beyond reasonable doubt that certified fisheries have credibly met all aspects of the standard. The MSC must not allow fisheries that purposefully target marine mammals (in order to facilitate fishing activities) to be certifiable. 

In June 2022, MSC completed the most comprehensive review of the MSC Fisheries Standard ever undertaken in the 25-year history of the MSC. The latest version of the Standard (version 3.0) includes significant improvements, including better protections for marine life, as well as stronger fisheries management and compliance requirements.

How to get certified

• Apply to an accredited certification body for a license to use the MSC ecolabel.
• The certification body will assess the fishery, including site visits and stakeholder consultations which will provide input during the assessment process.
• The certification body will review the findings and decide on certification.
• Certified entities will undergo annual audits to ensure compliance.
• Certification is renewed every five years.

The MSC certification process takes about 12 to 18 months to complete and the certification is awarded to products that come from sustainable fisheries. The MSC certification is a sustainability certification program that includes traceability.

The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC)

The Aquaculture Stewardship Council certification is widely recognized as the most credible and robust aquaculture certification scheme developed according to ISEAL Alliance and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) guideline. It has a global footprint but not all aquaculture producers currently meet ASC's robust farm standards. That's why the group launched the Improver Program to support farms in improving their practices and ultimately drive transformation at scale. The new Program offers a structured and transparent approach to projects, standardized reporting and monitoring, and is available for single farm or group options. 

Previously, there was no clearly defined framework for Aquaculture Improvement Projects (AIPs), unlike the fisheries improvements space. However, the Improver Program will provide a structured approach to monitor AIP progress—a first in aquaculture. Each AIP starts with a baseline measurement including a gap analysis and a time-bound project plan. Progress needs to be reported on a regular basis and will be verified by independent entities; all this information will be public on the ASC website under the "Find an AIP" search tool.

Farms participating in the Improver Program receive support from on-farm Implementers, organizations trained and qualified by ASC, who provide technical assistance to bridge gaps and develop improvement plans. Verifiers, who are also trained and qualified by ASC, independently assess progress and confirm if the farm meets improvement objectives and ASC covers the cost of verification.

Roy van Daatselaar, ASC's Global Lead Improver Program, stated: 

"The launch of this framework for credible AIPs, together with the support and investment that ASC aims to provide to the sector, will be a game changer to the industry. Processors and seafood importers can now start an AIP within their supply chain and receive direct support from the ASC in the form of capability building. Retailers and seafood buyers can now go to our website and see how AIPs are progressing, following independent verification and transparent reporting on progress."

How to get certified

Producers can choose one or two tracks for their Aquaculture Improvement Project (AIP):

1. The AIP to ASC certification route, where a plan of four phases is defined to improve performance to a level where the producer is ready to begin the ASC certification process by the end of the AIP.

2. The AIP to Better Practices route, which is set out to facilitate producers who do not wish to become ASC certified but want to improve responsible practices in specific environmental or social areas.

Using this model, seafood companies can encourage producers in their supply chain to participate in AIPs and can track progress along the way. This allows for accountability, clarity about where the farm currently stands in terms of its performance and potential for improvement, and a clear pathway to certification.

The ASC Improver Program's website and the "Find an AIP" tool allow businesses to monitor AIP progress worldwide. Seafood buyers are encouraged to direct their supply chain towards AIPs, enabling them to confidently make sourcing claims aligned with more responsible aquaculture practices.

To apply for ASC certification, you need to: 

1. Familiarize yourself with the relevant ASC standard;

2. Contact ASC-accredited Conformity Assessment Bodies (CAB) to get a quote and to schedule an audit;

3. Stakeholder review the draft audit report and make a decision on the certification;

4. The CAB takes the certification decision, uploads the final audit report and the certificate to the ASC database.

Certification typically takes between 150 and 180 days which includes the application process, scheduling and completing the audit, addressing any non-conformities, and final certification issuance.

💡 Christine's Takeaways: Very few certifications exist with regard to marine-derived ingredients and these include MSC and ASC. These certifications are voluntary and are not required by Regulatory Agencies. Ensure that your suppliers of marine-derived ingredients are certified and meet ecolabel standard and certification scheme.

👉 If you want to know more about how to comply with the cosmetic regulation in the USA, Canada and Europe and your regulatory and safety obligations as a manufacturer don’t hesitate to reach out to Christine Thiffault, PhD DABT ERT at cthiffault@toxessential.com, Toxicology Expert at ToxEssential, or visit the website: toxessential.com

Navigating Global Cosmetics Regulations

Navigating regulatory differences across Europe, China, Korea, the UK, India, and the Middle East can be a significant challenge. Join us at in-cosmetic Global's Testing & Regulation Forum on Day 3 at 15:25 CET, where industry experts will share valuable insights on ingredient compliance, sustainable packaging, and marketing regulations. Discover actionable strategies to enhance transparency, ensure compliance, and confidently navigate evolving regulations. Don't miss out—register now!