New data published by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) shows that sales of certified sustainable seafood featuring the MSC ecolabel rose by 14% last year in the UK.
During the year, some £1.7 billion was spent on 189,000 tonnes of MSC-labelled seafood, the data showed.
Overall, close to two thirds (63%) of wild-caught fish and seafood products sold by UK retailers features the MSC ecolabel, with some 948 supermarket own-label products now boasting the label.
The growth in sales was driven by the increased availability of MSC-certified skipjack tuna, it noted, with sales doubling year-on-year. Volume sales of MSC-labelled canned and jarred tuna have soared in recent years, increasing from 2,461 tonnes in 2020/21 to 37,027 tonnes in 2024/25.
Other fish species to show high levels of MSC certification included cod – where four fifths sold in UK supermarkets carries the MSC label – as well as cold-water prawns and mussels.
‘Significant’ rise
“With almost a quarter of UK consumers (22%) telling us they won’t buy fish unless it’s sustainable, it’s no surprise to see sales of MSC-labelled products continue to rise significantly,” commented Seth McCurry, senior commercial manager, MSC UK & Ireland.
“Retailers aren’t just listening to their customers either, they’re also working incredibly closely with the fishing industry to ensure there’s a greater range of MSC certified species on their shelves, including locally-caught fish and seafood.”
United States
Elsewhere, in the United States, MSC data indicated an 8% increase in volume sales of MSC-certified products between 2024 and 2025, with retailers such as Aldi, ShopRite, and Walmart making MSC certified seafood ‘accessible and easily identifiable’.
Some 90% of US fisheries are MSC certified, the group noted, while more than 1,300 MSC ecolabelled products are now available in the US market.
However the group added that 2025 was a challenging year for US fisheries, with the introduction of tariffs by the Trump administration affecting the trade and import of seafood, as well as the price paid by consumers, as less than two fifths (38%) of seafood consumed in the country is of domestic origin. Read more here and here.
