Sustainable whitefish supply has remained above 70% of all whitefish catch, according to new data from the Marine Stewardship Council.
Its 2026 Sustainable Whitefish Yearbook showed that 71% of all catch remained MSC certified, sourced from ”well-managed fisheries that can adapt to protect stocks”.
While this represents a decline on 2023 levels, it is still significantly improved compared with a decade ago.
The report also found that 4% of whitefish catch globally was currently in a fisheries improvement plan, leaving only 25% not certified, in an assessment or a FIP.
Some other significant revelations include a 31% increase in MSC labelling for mixed whitefish and a 26% increase in MSC labelling for saithe since 2020/21.
“Climate change is disrupting fish stocks globally, but certified whitefish fisheries are among the most resilient and should be celebrated as a sustainability success story,” said Nicolas Guichoux, MSC’s chief program officer. “Research shows well managed fisheries that take a scientific approach, can effectively monitor the health of stocks and respond quickly to stock variations, making them best placed to adapt to global warming.”
The report showed that there were more than 60 species falling under the whitefish label and recognised this group now accounts for almost 40% of all seafood that is either MSC certified, under assessment, suspended, or part of the MSC’s Improvement Program.
“With multiple healthy whitefish species, the seafood sector has a diverse supply to source from and with long-term commitments they can enable MSC-certified fisheries to continue to improve their practices and safeguard fish stocks and the marine environment,” added Guichoux.
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