Learn · Sustainability Certifications

Sustainability Certifications: What the Labels Mean

No label replaces knowing species, origin, and method. But certifications tell part of the story — if you understand what each one actually measures and what it doesn't.

The Structural Problem With Certification

The dominant seafood certification model — MSC, BAP, ASC — is funded by the entities seeking certification. Fisheries and farms pay six-figure fees for third-party audits, then pay ongoing royalties to use the certification mark. The certifying body's revenue depends on continued certification.

This doesn't mean the certifications are fraudulent. It means there is structural pressure toward keeping major, high-volume fisheries certified even when the picture is complicated. The Bering Sea pollock fleet — the world's largest — generates 141 million pounds of bycatch annually and is MSC-certified.

The right way to use certification labels: treat them as a floor, not an endorsement. A certified product has cleared a documented minimum threshold. An uncertified product from a named vessel with documented chain of custody may be more traceable.

Five Certifications Explained

What each covers, what it doesn't, and how to use the information.

MSC

Marine Stewardship Council

Wild-caught

What It Covers

Stock sustainability (not at collapse risk), fishery management effectiveness, and ecosystem impact. Certification is awarded to fisheries, not processors or retailers.

Funding Model

Fisheries pay for third-party audits to earn certification. MSC licenses the use of its logo and collects royalties on certified product sales. The structural pressure: a fishery paying $500K–$2M for certification has strong commercial incentive to retain it.

What It Does Not Cover

Bycatch quantity, seafloor habitat damage, labor practices, supply chain traceability, or fishing method.

The Pollock Problem

The Bering Sea pollock fleet is MSC-certified. It is also the source of the Filet-O-Fish, generates 141M lbs of bycatch annually including halibut and crab, and operates with mid-water trawl nets the size of football fields. The certification is technically defensible — pollock stocks are not currently at collapse. It does not describe the fishery's overall impact.

PCS Take

MSC certification is a floor, not a ceiling. It tells you a stock is managed. It tells you nothing about method, bycatch, or whether you can name the boat.

Alaska RFM

Alaska Responsible Fisheries Management

Wild-caught

What It Covers

Alignment with the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries. Covers all major Alaska commercial species in state waters — salmon, halibut, crab, sablefish, cod — and verifies sustainable fishery management by the Alaska Department of Fish & Game.

Funding Model

Program is co-administered through industry groups and Alaska government. Auditing is conducted by independent certifiers.

What It Does Not Cover

Individual vessel practices, traceability, or supply chain documentation beyond the fishery level.

The Pollock Problem

Alaska RFM does not certify the Bering Sea pollock fleet — that fishery operates in federal waters under NOAA management, outside state jurisdiction. Alaska RFM applies to state-managed fisheries.

PCS Take

Alaska RFM is a credible verification that the management framework is sound. All PCS fisheries operate within Alaska RFM-covered frameworks. It verifies the system; traceability verifies the individual fish.

BAP

Best Aquaculture Practices

Farmed seafood

What It Covers

A tiered star rating system (1–4 stars) covering farm facility, hatchery, feed mill, and processing plant. Criteria include environmental impact, social responsibility, food safety, and animal welfare. More stars = more supply chain links audited.

Funding Model

Facilities pay for annual audits. Managed by the Global Seafood Alliance, an industry association. As with MSC, the funder-pays model creates structural pressure.

What It Does Not Cover

Wild-catch supply chains. Does not address bycatch, method, or vessel traceability.

PCS Take

BAP is the most widely deployed aquaculture standard. A 4-star BAP product has had the entire supply chain audited — that matters. It is a meaningful threshold for farmed salmon, shrimp, and tilapia.

ASC

Aquaculture Stewardship Council

Farmed seafood

What It Covers

Farm-level certification for farmed seafood covering environmental performance, social conditions, and traceability. Generally considered more stringent than BAP on environmental criteria, particularly for salmon and shrimp farming.

Funding Model

Similar to MSC — farms pay for certification, ASC collects logo licensing fees. Independent auditors conduct assessments.

What It Does Not Cover

Wild-catch fisheries. Does not apply to any PCS species.

PCS Take

ASC is the credible standard for farmed seafood. If you buy farmed salmon, shrimp, or tilapia, look for ASC over BAP where available — the environmental bar is higher.

GDST

Global Dialogue on Seafood Traceability

Industry standard (not a consumer label)

What It Covers

An interoperability framework defining Key Data Elements (KDEs) and Critical Tracking Events (CTEs) for seafood supply chains. GDST does not certify fisheries or farms — it defines what data should travel with a product from vessel to plate so different software systems can exchange that data.

Funding Model

Industry consortium of processors, retailers, tech companies, and standards bodies.

What It Does Not Cover

Sustainability, stock health, or fishing method — GDST is purely a data interoperability standard.

PCS Take

GDST underpins platforms like Wholechain. It is not visible to consumers but is the technical foundation for supply chain traceability. When PCS uses blockchain-documented chain of custody, the data structure follows GDST standards.

Why PCS Doesn't Rely on Certification

Every PCS product includes vessel name, captain, harvest date, species, region, and method. That information travels with the product through the supply chain and is documented through Wholechain's blockchain-based traceability platform.

Certification tells you a fishery meets a documented threshold. Direct traceability tells you which boat, on which date, in which water, caught your specific fish. These are different levels of information, and the latter is more useful.

We operate in Alaska RFM-covered fisheries — the management framework is sound. But we don't rely on the framework label. We document the chain of custody from vessel to consumer because that's what makes a claim verifiable.

What Is Traceability? →Fishing Methods Reading Seafood Labels