At ForSea Solutions, we specialize in helping fisheries achieve and maintain their sustainability goals through the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification process. Since 2017–2018, we’ve worked closely with five salmon fisheries in Kamchatka, Russia — Kolkhoz im. Bekereva & Belorechensk-Vyvenskoe Karaginsky Bay salmon fisheries, Kolpakovsky Sobolevo West Kamchatka salmon, Ozernovsky RKZ No. 55 West Kamchatka salmon fishery, Vostochny Bereg-Maksimovskiy, Koryakmoreprodukt-Nachikinskoe & Severo-Vostochnaya Company Karaginsky Bay salmon fisheries, and Zarya-Kolpakovsky Sobolevo salmon fisheries — guiding them through every phase of their MSC journey and continuing to provide technical support as they now prepare for recertification in 2025.
What began with confidential, FSS-led pre-assessments — shaped by strategic planning and clear sustainability pathways — quickly evolved into full MSC assessments between 2019 and 2020, resulting in successful certifications in 2020. These were the fisheries’ first certifications under the MSC program — and a major milestone in their long-term commitment to responsible practices.
But certification was just the beginning.
End-to-End Technical Support & Strategic Guidance
ForSea Solutions has been a consistent, long-term partner to these fisheries — not only helping them achieve MSC certification, but continuing to guide their progress year after year. From the initial stages to today, we’ve provided the technical leadership and strategic support needed to meet, maintain, and build on MSC standards across every phase of the process.
Our support has included:
• Transparent stakeholder outreach and engagement — fostering collaboration between public and private sectors and ensuring inclusive input at every stage
• Education and translation of global sustainability concepts — guiding clients through complex seafood certification frameworks and tailoring them to local fishery contexts
• Development and oversight of MSC-compliant Client Action Plans — ensuring alignment with certification requirements and continuous improvement goals
• Facilitation of annual MSC surveillance audits — supporting clients in maintaining certification through proactive preparation and audit-readiness
• Ongoing technical documentation and multi-stakeholder engagement— bringing specialized expertise and consistent coordination throughout the full certification cycle
• Technical guidance to implement and close MSC Conditions — addressing performance gaps and strengthening long-term compliance
This comprehensive, adaptive support defines our approach — and reflects our commitment to building trust, knowledge, and resilience alongside our clients.
Throughout the certification lifecycle, we’ve helped ensure our clients are not only audit-ready, but also deeply informed and prepared — with a clear understanding of MSC program requirements, sustainability objectives, and how to deliver results that stand up to rigorous third-party scrutiny.
2024 Reassessments & Key Milestones
In 2024, all five fisheries voluntarily initiated full MSC reassessments to reaffirm their compliance with the current Fisheries Standard and continue building on their long-term sustainability commitments.
As of July 2025, each fishery has reached the Public Comment Draft Report (PCDR) stage — a critical milestone in the process that reflects the fishery’s continued progress toward certification. The PCDR is a key mechanism for ensuring transparency in the MSC program, offering stakeholders the opportunity to review draft findings and submit evidence-based feedback before a final certification decision is made.
What’s Ahead
With the PCDR stage now underway, each fishery is entering the final phase of the MSC assessment process. The next steps include:
• Final Draft Report (FDR) & Certification Determination — After a 30-day stakeholder review, the CAB will issue a Final Report with scoring outcomes, conditions, and responses to all comments.
Expected by November 2025
• Public Certification Report (PCR) — If no formal objections are
received, the fishery will be granted MSC certification for five years (pending annual audits), and the CAB will publish the certification report on the MSC website.
Anticipated by December 2025
These final milestones will mark the completion of a rigorous certification process — reaffirming each fishery’s alignment with the MSC Fisheries Standard and commitment to credible, independently verified sustainability.
A Proven Model for Long-Term Impact
This multi-year collaboration represents a proven model of how ForSea Solutions provides sustained, full-cycle technical support — from early strategic planning and pre-assessments through to certification, ongoing compliance, and stakeholder engagement. It reflects our core approach: staying engaged, building trust, and helping our clients lead with confidence and credibility in the global sustainable seafood space. We look forward to sharing more updates in the months ahead — including expanded entries in our Clients & Projects section, where we’ll highlight the individual journeys and progress of each Kamchatka fishery we’re proud to support.
