Western Rock Lobster Development Association, Western Australia

Western Rock Lobster Development Association, Marine Stewardship Council certified

In 2000, the Western Rock lobster fishery became the first fishery in the world to be certified to the MSC standard as a well managed and sustainable fishery and earned the right to market its product internationally under the MSC eco label.

The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) is an independent, global, nonprofit organisation with its head office based in London, UK.

The MSC has developed an environmental standard for sustainable and well-managed fisheries. It uses a product label to reward environmentally responsible fisheries management and practices.

Though operating independently since 1999, the MSC evolved through a partnership between Unilever, the world’s largest buyer of seafood and the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF), the international conservation organisation.

The Western Rock lobster fishery has recently completed its first five year certification period and undergone reassessment for sustainability as part of the MSC’s continuous improvement policy. The fishery passed all reassessment criteria and the remains certified under the MSC eco label.

Additionally, all processors (WRLDA members) operate under a formal Chain of Custody Agreement with the MSC, which maintains the integrity of the catch of Western Rock Lobster into the global marketplace in accordance with MSC criteria.

The fishery extends from Shark Bay in the north, to Augusta in the south, and out to the Australian EEZ; however the majority of the product is caught within 60 nautical...

- Top -