The MSC expects to conclude 2025 with “significant advances in the certification of national fisheries, expansion of the Blue Label in the Portuguese market, and capacity-building initiatives that strengthen the commitment to healthy oceans,” the organization stated in a release.
The MSC is an international organization that sets globally recognized scientific standards for sustainable fishing and traceability of seafood products. It is responsible for a “Blue Label” placed on products for sale that distinguishes sustainable fisheries and encourages a more responsible market.
Quoted in the release, Alberto Martín, MSC director for Spain and Portugal, remarked that “in 2025, Portugal demonstrated leadership in the recovery of iconic resources and commitment to the MSC program, with the recertification of the Iberian sardine as a paradigmatic example of multisectoral collaboration. These advancements ensure not only environmental sustainability but also the economic viability of fisheries and coastal communities, ensuring the responsible supply of fish for future generations.”
The organization identifies as “key milestones” the recertification of the Iberian sardine purse seine fishery on the Atlantic coast, celebrated at a ceremony in Matosinhos. Certification was lost in 2014 due to the poor condition of the stock. The recovery of the sardine’s “blue label” involved 132 Portuguese vessels, scientists, Iberian governments, and the canning industry.
The MSC highlights at an Iberian level the progress in Spanish fisheries such as the Atlantic bigeye tuna and recertifications of anchovy and bonito in the Cantabrian Sea, concluding that “the Iberian sardine was the joint impact priority focus.”
The MSC’s new global annual report reveals that 738 fisheries — 22 more than in 2024 — participate in the certification program, covering 20.6% of global wild catches and 80% of global whitefish.
Sales of certified products grew by 8%, reaching $14 billion, with notable figures for tuna (300,000 tons with the Blue Label, a 30% increase).
This year in Portugal, the “Blue Label” experienced “consistent growth,” and more than 450 products with the MSC Blue Label were marketed, “representing an impressive 800% growth over the last decade.”
An advancement, noted the organization, driven by a group of large supermarket chains.
