Fishing is only one part of the fishing industry. The entire chain of custody includes everything from transporting, trading, processing, and packaging, to selling and retailing, including in the restaurant and food service sectors.
WWF's work to promote sustainable seafood includes:
- Working with key retailers and buyers: WWF is encouraging retailers and buyers to demand and provide MSC-certified products in their stores. Thanks in part to our efforts, over 100 major seafood buyers have pledged to purchase MSC-certified products, including major supermarket chains in Western Europe and the US, two of the world’s largest seafood markets. For example, in 2006 the world's largest retailer, Wal-Mart, pledged that within 3-5 years it would source all fresh and frozen wild-caught seafood from MSC-certified fisheries.
The first MSC-certified products were launched in Japan in 2006 as well.
- Working with trade organizations: WWF is a partner of the US Seafood Choices Alliance, a well-established trade association for sustainable seafood that has recently expanded into Europe.
- Working with fish processors: We are working with major fish processors to promote stronger purchasing guidelines and greater variety of sustainably sourced and MSC-certified products. We helped support efforts by the EU Fish Processing Association (AIPCE) to stem trade in illegally caught Atlantic cod from the Barents Sea.