MSC continues to tout the success
The blue MSC eco-label is assurance that the product is sourced from a sustainable and well-managed fishery and helps consumers make sustainable choices when buying seafood. The label can be found on products worldwide and has an especially strong presence in the German market; where close to 3,000 products bear the MSC label.
Stuhrk Delikatessen based in Marne, northern Germany has included MSC certified seafood in its product range since 2007, when the company secured certification to the MSC Chain of Custody standard for seafood traceability.
'Our company believes in sustainable growth and so securing MSC Chain of Custody certification was a logical extension to our philosophy. We support sustainable fisheries and are proud that it is one of our products to hit this hugely significant mark of being the 10, 000th in the marketplace,' says Stührk director Lars Jochims.
Recent research in German consumer attitudes that measured awareness of the MSC eco-label demonstrates the extent to which individual purchasing decisions are driven by sustainability considerations.
A survey of shoppers carried out by AMR Research found that 52 percent of respondents recognized the MSC eco-label. To ensure a fair test, all the identifying text on the eco-label was removed. Further, 22 percent of respondents went on to correctly identify the eco-label (without the text) as signifying a product sourced from a sustainable fishery.
These figures show a marked increase in the results of 2010 of 36 percent and 17 percent respectively. 27 percent of respondents - up from 19 percent in June 2010 - say that they only buy fish and seafood from sustainable sources, regardless of price and quality, and are even prepared to go elsewhere if the product they are looking for is not available. In 2010, MSC surveyed the average consumer awareness of the MSC eco-label: Across the six key markets surveyed, 23 percent of the adult population is now aware of the MSC eco-label - up from 9 percent in 2008.
The number of MSC labeled products available worldwide has doubled since April 2010 and Simon Edwards, MSC Global Communications Director, said this is a sign that suppliers and consumers are looking at where their seafood comes from.
'The rate at which the number of MSC-labeled products in the global market is increasing - doubling every twelve months over the last four years - confirms that suppliers are putting sustainability at the centre of their business, and responding to their customers' growing awareness and preferences about seafood sourcing,' said Edwards.
(SEAFOOD.COM)