Glossary
Bycatch
Marine creatures caught when fishing for other types of creatures. Sometimes this catch is used or sold but often it is thrown overboard dead or dying.
Consumer power
Consumer power is where people exert influence on shops or markets by choosing or demanding products because of a certain quality such as minimised environmental or social impacts. Collective opinion often has a stronger influence than individual opinion.
Eco-label
An eco-label provides environmental information on the production of a product that has been independently tested. Some labels give environmental information on other aspects of a product, like whether it is energy efficient or can be recycled.
Fishery
A unit determined by an authority or other entity that is engaged in raising and/or harvesting fish. Typically, the unit is defined in terms of some or all of the following: people involved, species or type of fish, area of water or seabed, method of fishing, class of boats and purpose of the activities.
MSC standard for sustainable fishing
The MSC’s standard for well-managed and sustainable fishing is based on a set of principles and criteria. Fisheries are measured against this standard by independent third parties. If they pass the fishery proves they are maintaining or improving fish stocks, looking after the whole ecosystem where they fish and that they manage their fishing effectively.
Overfishing
Overfishing occurs when too many fish are fished out. Those that are left are not in large enough numbers to reproduce and sustain the fish population at a healthy level.
Sustainable fishing
Fishing at a reasonable level that can be sustained by the fish stocks indefinitely and support fishers in the long term.
Unsustainable fishing
Fishing that causes the depletion of fish stocks or unacceptable impacts on the marine environment and subsequently has negative economic and environmental impacts.
