Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Fisheries Standard v3.1 checklist

Use this checklist to find out if you are sufficiently prepared for MSC certification. 

This tool is designed to help fisheries and their teams assess systems and processes against the requirements of the MSC Fisheries Standard v3.1 (published 22 July 2024). Use it to check compliance, record evidence and identify areas for improvement before your assessment.

The checklist is structured around the three core Principles and their associated Performance Indicators (PIs).

The MSC Fisheries Standard applies to wild-capture fisheries. Scores are assessed against Scoring Guideposts (SG) at 60, 80, and 100 levels; a minimum average score of 80 across all PIs (with no PI scoring below 60) is required for certification. LRQA accepts no responsibility for inaccuracies in or changes to this checklist. Always refer to the official MSC Fisheries Standard v3.1 for the authoritative requirements.