Addressing environmental considerations for Marine Stewardship Council certification: A case study using lobsters Lynda M. Bellchambers a,n , Bruce F. Phillips b , Mónica Pérez-Ramírez c , Enrique Lozano-Álvarez d , Kim Ley-Cooper b,e , Armando Vega-Velazquez f a Marine Ecology and Monitoring Section (MEMs), Western Australian Fisheries and Marine Research Laboratories, Department of Fisheries, Government of Western Australia,, PO Box 20, North Beach, WA 6920, Australia b Department of Environment and Agriculture, School of Science, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA 6845, Australia c Department of Hydrobiology, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM), Av. San Rafael Atlixco 186, Col. Vicentina, Mexico City 09340, Mexico d Unidad Académica de Sistemas Arrecifales (Puerto Morelos), Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, PO Box 190. Cancun QR 77500, Mexico e Colectividad RAZONATURA A.C. Av. Cozumel esq. Calle 28, Condominios Magic Paradise, depto. B4, Col. Centro, Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo 77710, Mexico f Instituto Nacional de la Pesca/Centro Regional de Investigación Pesquera-La Paz, Km # 1, Carretera a Pichilingue, La Paz, B. C. S., 23020, Mexico article info Article history: Received 20 February 2014 Received in revised form 4 July 2014 Accepted 5 July 2014 Available online 31 July 2014 Keywords: Third party certification Lobster Risk assessment Ecosystem impacts of fishing Marine Stewardship Council abstract This paper uses the Western Australian rock lobster, the first fishery certified by MSC, as a case study to discuss some of the environmental issues encountered in MSC's Principle 2 and the strategies implemented to address them. Experience with the certification of Western Australian rock lobster has highlighted the importance of; comprehensive documentation of current and historical information, monitoring and research, a transparent process of risk identification and the value of an independent advisory group to review risks and guide research directions.A comparison of other certified lobster fisheries worldwide revealed that third party certification consistently identified specific environmental issues, indicating that the strategies implemented to support the ongoing certification of the Western Australian rock lobster fishery may be relevant to other fisheries. & 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction In recent years there has been concern over the sustain- ability of global fish stocks [1–3] and the impact of fishing on the marine environment [4,5]. While many fisheries around the world are being fished and managed sustainably the increased profile of stock sustainability and the potential impacts of fishing practices on the environment has led to an increased awareness of environmental issues by the general public and conservation groups [6–10]. Coupled with the rise in public awareness is the progression towards a more holistic approach to fisheries management in the form of Ecosystem Based Fisheries Management (EBFM). EBFM considers the cumulative impacts on the environment of all fisheries-related activities operating in an area while also taking into account social, economic and external factors (i.e. climate change and other non-fishing related activities) [11–13]. In Australia, the Envir- onment Protection Biodiversity and Conservation (EPBC) Act and Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD) Commonwealth require- ments for export fisheries have meant that many fisheries have incorporated ecological risk assessments into their management strategies for some time. However, in some cases the implementation of EBFM has meant a significant increase in the information required [14]. In other countries, such as Mexico sustainability principals have been incorporated into legislation through a decree in “Ley de Pesca y Acuacultura Sustentatable” or through the consideration of differ- ent sustainability initiatives such as the FAO International guidelines for securing sustainable small scale fisheries [15]. However, the practical implementation of these principles in many cases lags behind the original intention of the guidelines or legislation. Regard- less, these processes have undoubtedly led to an unprecedented need and pressure to examine the sustainability of fishing practices, particularly in relation to habitats and ecosystems. Growing aware- ness of sustainable fishing practices has led to an increase in consumer demand for sustainably-sourced seafood products [16– 18] with a number of international retailers, such as Aldi, Carrefour, Tesco, Sainsbury's and Wal-Mart, and more recently Australian retailers (Woolworths and Coles) selling and promoting eco- labelled seafood products. Contents lists available at ScienceDirect journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/marpol Marine Policy http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2014.07.006 0308-597X/& 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. n Corresponding author. Tel.: þ61 08 9203 0175. E-mail address: Lynda.Bellchambers@fish.wa.gov.au (L.M. Bellchambers). Marine Policy 50 (2014) 249–260