ASC MSC 

BUSINESS CHALLENGE

Seafood consumption is rising worldwide and the degradation of fish
stocks continues (overexploited resources, environmental damage,
climate change, etc.). In this context, consumers, retailers, restaurants
and processors are now seeking “sustainable seafood and traceability”.
In order to become MSC certified, your industry must comply with
the MSC Chain of Custody standard by an accredited certification
body such as Bureau Veritas in order to show your seafood
products can be traced from MSC certified fisheries. The list of
certified fisheries is available on the website www.msc.org 

MARINE STEWARDSHIP COUNCIL   
Certify your sustainable fishing products
The MSC is an independent non-profit organization founded in 1997 with the aim of transforming the seafood market to make it more sustainable by:
• reversing the decline in global fish stocks
• delivering improvements in the marine environment
• contributing to securing fishers’ livelihood

The MSC has developed 2 standards: one for fishery assessments and the second for Chain of Custody (traceability) in the supply chain. This “Business to Consumer” standard allows placement of an MSC logo on products, visible to consumers. For the fishery assessment, Bureau Veritas complies with the 3 principles of tthe MSC standard:
• respect to the targeted stock
• respect to the associated ecosystem
• an efficient fishery management system

 For the Chain of Custody assessment:
Bureau Veritas certifies that processors, exporters, importers and distributors have sourced their seafood products from MSC certified fisheries and rigorously manage the traceability. 

   OUR CERTIFICATION PROCESS    Key steps in our certification process are:                   1. Definition of certification scope

    2. Pre-audit (optional): gap analysis and diagnosis of your current position against standard

    3.    Certification audit performed in 2 stages:

         - Stage 1 - Readiness review performed to verify that the organization is ready for
            certification

         - Stage 2 - Evaluation of implementation, including the effectiveness, of the 
            management system of the organization

    4.    A certificate valid for 3 years is issued upon satisfactory results of stage 2 audit

    5.    Surveillance audits to verify that the management system continues to fulfil the 

         requirements of the standard and monitor the continual improvement

    6.    Re-certification after 3 years to confirm the continued conformance and 
         effectiveness of the management system as a whole    

COMPLAINTS AND APPEALS – MSC  ASC COC CERTIFICATION

 Bureau Veritas is committed to ensuring an impartial, transparent, and effective process for handling complaints and appeals related to MSC and ASC Chain of Custody (CoC) certification activities.
 Any stakeholder, client, certified organization, applicant, or interested party may submit a complaint regarding Bureau Veritas certification activities or the performance of a certified organization. Clients may also submit an appeal against a certification decision, including certification refusal, suspension, withdrawal, scope reduction, or audit findings.
 For ASC Chain of Custody (CoC) certification, complainants may also submit complaints directly to the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) at complaints@asc-aqua.org. If a complaint or appeal cannot be satisfactorily resolved through Bureau Veritas, the matter may be escalated to ASC or the ASC-appointed Accreditation Body.
 For MSC Chain of Custody (CoC) certification, complainants or appellants who are not satisfied with the outcome may escalate the matter to the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) or the MSC-appointed Accreditation Body. Complaints related to MSC certification may also be submitted directly to MSC at complaints@msc.org. 
 Complaints and appeals can be submitted to Bureau Veritas through the contact details provided on this website. All information received will be treated confidentially and managed in accordance with the applicable MSC, ASC, and ISO/IEC 17065 requirements.