Seafood Supply Chain Heroes’ Chance to Shine as Nominations Open for MSC and ASC Awards

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The UK’s leading fish farmers and sustainable fishmongers will be battling it out alongside their seafaring, supplier and supermarket colleagues as nominations open today for the country’s foremost seafood awards.

The two new additions to the annual awards, now in their 13th year and run jointly by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) UK and Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) UK, recognize critical roles in the growing market for certified seafood.

The MSC UK Fishmonger of the Year award is open to any business, large or small, that operates on the high street or online and reflects the growing consumer appetite for specialist retailers – particularly via e-commerce. Meanwhile, the men and women striving to be the best in British aquaculture can compete for the title of ASC UK Producer of the Year by proving their commitment to drive innovation in seafood farming every day.

On the back of a year in which certified sustainable seafood sales soared, George Clark, MSC UK & Ireland Programme Director, said the MSC are looking forward to rewarding the individuals and businesses at the forefront of this progressive future.

“Change is happening across the supply chain from the ocean to the plate, and the MSC’s UK Awards provide the perfect showcase for all those who are working tirelessly to catch, process, deliver, sell and serve the best sustainable seafood.

“Fishmongers, both online and in-store, are our trusted shop window into seafood and I’m delighted that we’ll now be acknowledging the very best in this category.”

The MSC UK and ASC UK annual awards are the showcase event of the year to celebrate businesses and individuals working to offer consumers certified seafood from healthy stocks and well-managed farms.

Nominations are open until 21 August. Following a rigorous judging process, the winners will be announced in October.

Maud van den Haspel, ASC General Manager for the UK and Benelux, said: “These awards celebrate the people and organisations whose commitment and ambition are helping drive positive change across seafood farming.

“Farmers are the foundation of the ASC programme. Introducing a Farmer of the Year award is an important way of recognising the people whose commitment and innovation are helping move seafood farming forward. Their achievements deserve to be celebrated, and we hope their stories will inspire others to follow.”

There are now 18 categories in total – 13 MSC and six ASC, and consumers will again have the chance to have their say with a public vote for each organisation’s Product of the Year award via online voting platforms at MSC and ASC.

Among the standout winners in 2025, Tesco was crowned MSC UK Supermarket of the Year while Sainsbury’s won the ASC UK Retailer of the Year award.

The MSC UK Product of the Year 2025, voted for by consumers, was won by Waitrose for its No.1 Moules Marinière with Wild Garlic & Chardonnay, made with rope-grown mussels harvested in the Shetland Islands. 

More details about the award categories, including how to submit a nomination or vote, can be found here.

The MSC is an international non-profit organization which sets globally recognized, science-based standards for sustainable fishing and assurance in the seafood supply chain.

ASC, an independent non-profit organisation, is driving the improvement of environmental and social practices in seafood farming through its leading, third-party assured certification programme.