Certification Schemes and Third Party Accreditation: Hybrid Governance in the Marine and Aquaculture Sector

Certification and third party accreditation schemes are examples of private-social partnerships that make up a form of hybrid governance. In this paper we examine the rise of third party certification and the challenges these governance arrangements bring to traditional governance. We examine this through two case studies based on the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC). Using these cases, we argue that hybrid governance is changing the way traditional governance is being utilised. Market and consumer driven responses are challenging government policies and if and when the state should be involved in evaluating sustainability practices.