February 14, 2020 — A Marine Stewardship Council decision to remove the possibility for vessels to harvest both certified and non-certified catch using different gear practices at the same time, known as compartmentalization, has been lauded by NGOs who pushed for the change.
The decision came about through the MSC’s fisheries standards review, a review of the organizations standards that occurs every five years. The current review started in 2018. Compartmentalization has been criticized by NGOs and environmental groups, and an earlier attempt to propose a policy reform prohibiting the practice failed to pass in 2018.