SEAFOOD SUPPLEMENTS SECTOR GETTING SERIOUS ON SUSTAINABILITY

Seafood supplements sector getting serious on sustainability

Sales of sustainable seafood supplements, such as marine collagen and cod liver oil, doubled last year in the UK and Ireland.

The £12.8m spent by shoppers on the supplements certified to the Marine Stewardship Council’s Standard for sustainable fishing, represented a 99% increase on the 2024 total, boosted by more brands selling a wider range of MSC labelled products.

The UK and Irish market for supplements carrying the MSC blue ecolabel has now almost overtaken China, leaving just the US and Canada as the leading marketplace for these increasingly popular products, according to the recently published MSC UK & Ireland Market Report.

With four brands – Ancient and Brave, Bare Biology, Planet Paleo, and Zinzino – now selling MSC certified marine collagen, this subsector of the supplement market looks set to experience rapid growth as this skincare product enjoys a major boost in popularity. For consumers keen to reduce the environmental impact of their cosmetics, MSC certified marine collagen not only comes from healthy stocks of white fish but also uses by-products that would otherwise be wasted.

Cod liver oil and other omega-3 fish oil products remain the biggest selling certified supplements, with Morrisons and Tesco the two retailers using the MSC label on their own-brand supplements range.

Seafood supplements sector getting serious on sustainability

Rowan Williams, MSC UK & Ireland Commercial Officer, said: “The near 100% rise in sales of certified supplements is good news and underlines the huge potential in this sector; one which presents a clear opportunity for other retailers to increase their range of certified sustainable products.

“Given the increased consumer demand for certified sustainable products, even amidst economic difficulties, it is vital that this sector is safeguarded for the future through sustainable fisheries management practices.”

Wiley’s Finest, which uses MSC labelled Alaska pollock for its extensive range of fish oil products, celebrated a decade of certification in 2025, and its parent business, Wiley Companies, has been certified since 2011, as long as any other supplements company in the world.

Paul Farquhar, Managing Director at Wiley’s Finest, said: “We’ve been MSC-certified since the very beginning because we believe that producing high-quality Omega-3 supplements and protecting ocean health must go hand in hand.

“People are increasingly recognising that their purchasing decisions have real environmental consequences and are actively seeking products that align with their values. We want to ensure that the wild fish populations we depend on today will continue to thrive for generations to come. MSC certification gives consumers confidence that the supplements they’re buying come from responsibly managed fisheries, with full traceability from ocean to capsule. We’re proud to be part of this movement and encouraged to see the broader industry embracing sustainable sourcing.”

The growth in the supplement market contributed to a 14% increase in overall retail sales of MSC labelled products in the UK and Ireland in 2025 – rising to £1.7bn.

Main Image © MSC

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