Western Australia’s State Government works with the commercial and recreational fishing sectors to enhance the standing of WA’s fisheries and aquaculture operations through independent third-party sustainability certification.
The highly-regarded Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) was selected as the preferred fisheries accreditation scheme, which sets the highest sustainability standard in the world. The MSC is an independent, not-for-profit organisation that works to ensure that fishing stocks and the surrounding ecosystems can be sustained indefinitely, even in the face of changing environmental circumstances.
As of June 2022, the State Government, in partnership with the WA Fishing Industry Council and Recfishwest have supported 12 WA fisheries to achieve MSC certification.
The MSC program has provided a range of benefits to WA, including enhanced community confidence in the sustainability of the State's fisheries and that their seafood purchases are sustainably sourced.
MSC certification also allows licence holders to use the blue MSC label ‘eco-tick’, which paves the way for new export markets and jobs growth in WA.
Fisheries certified to date include:
Western Rock Lobster fishery, the first fishery in the world to be MSC certified and re-certified to the MSC standard for the fifth time in 2022.
Exmouth Gulf and Shark Bay
prawn fisheries, the first trawl fisheries to be MSC-certified under the program and recently recertified in 2020.
west and south coast
Abalone (Roe’s, Greenlip and Brownlip abalone)
Sea Cucumber fishery
Abrolhos Island Saucer Scallops fishery, the first scallop fishery in Australia to be MSC certified
World’s first abalone ranch near Augusta, Rare
Foods Australia, greenlip abalone