Merton College becomes MSC certified in latest sustainability move
Merton College has been certified as conforming to the MSC Chain of Custody Standard: Consumer Facing Organisation (CFO) Version and MSC Chain of Custody Certification Requirements.
Merton College is pleased to announce it is the first Oxford College to become MSC certified. This demonstrates to those that dine with us that seafood served at the college is from a sustainable source.
The Chain of Custody Standard provides a third-party guarantee that Merton College is purchasing MSC fish from a certified supplier and carefully monitoring the volumes in its possession. This offers assurance to staff, students & Fellows that sustainably caught seafood is safeguarded from ocean to plate.
Our Head Chef Simon Crawshaw has worked tirelessly to complete the certification documentation as well as a Chain of Custody audit.
Our work in this area demonstrates our commitment to improving the sustainability of the College.
Rowan Williams, Commercial Officer for MSC UK & Ireland, said ‘It’s brilliant to see Merton College getting MSC certified. They’re leading the way at Oxford University as the first certified college, and I’m sure the staff and students will be delighted that their college is committed to serving sustainable seafood.’
A recertification audit will take place in three years' time. Participation in the MSC programme can contribute to at least five SDGs, and at COP-15 MSC certification was recognised as an important scientific indicator for reversing global biodiversity loss.
About the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)
The Marine Stewardship Council is an international non-profit organisation. They recognise and reward efforts to protect oceans and safeguard seafood supplies for the future. Their mission is to use our ecolabel and fishery certification programme to contribute to the health of the world’s oceans by recognising and rewarding sustainable fishing practices, influencing the choices people make when buying seafood and working with their partners to transform the seafood market to a sustainable basis.
