Transforming the Global Fishing Industry: The Marine Stewardship Council at Full Sail?
Case Abstract
The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) is an non-government organisation (NGO) – headquartered in London and established by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Unilever in 1997 to set up a certification and eco-labelling system for sustainable fishing. The case describes the MSC’s initial and more recent challenges including the Tragedy of the Commons, a wide range of less willing stakeholders, and the complexity of certifying fisheries on sustainability criteria.
It also outlines management decisions to meet at least some of the challenges: improved transparency and engagement with stakeholders, new governance structures and certification methodologies. For the learning objectives, the participants should: (1) see the challenges associated with the certification of sustainable business practices (in general and in fisheries in particular); (2) reflect on the institutional dilemma presented by the wide range of often conflicting stakeholder demands; and (3) see the necessity to carry out strategic (i.e., focused) stakeholder engagement (find the most important allies) and establish effective governance structures.
| Author: | Alexander Nick |
| Institution: | IMD Lausanne, Switzerland |
| Competition Year | 2007 |
| Place | Finalist |
| Track | Social Entrepreneurship |
| Key Words | Sustainability, Certification, Labelling, Fishing, Non-Government Organisation (NGO), Stakeholder Management, Food and Beverage |
| Case Purchase Information | This case can be purchased from the Case Centre (IMD-2-0083). It is also part of the oikos Case Collection book (Volume 1): Case Studies in Sustainability Management and Strategy published by Greenleaf. |