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FINALIST 2024

Marine Stewardship Council
THE DECISION: A Tuna Fishery's Quest for Sustainability

Film & Campaign Description

When Kepa Echevarria set out to transform his tuna fishery into one that was certified as sustainable, he thought it was a just and obvious thing to do for the planet and the future of his business. 


“Being sustainable is a decision. You can decide to do it, or you can decide not to do it… but to do it is the only way,” says Echevarria, CEO of family-owned Spanish fishery, Echebastar. 

Little did he know that he and his fishery would have to spend the next 12 years on one of the longest and hardest journeys of his life, innovating and reshaping his fishery before it could be classed as certified sustainable. 

This documentary tells the story of Echevarria’s journey, one that many thought would not be possible. 

‘The Decision’ shows that, at a time when the world’s fish stocks are under pressure from overfishing, not committing to sustainability is a decision the planet cannot afford to make.

Marine Stewardship Council

The Marine Stewardship Council is an international non-profit organisation. We recognise and reward efforts to protect oceans and safeguard seafood supplies for the future.

We want future generations to be able to enjoy seafood and oceans full of life, forever.

Our vision is of the world’s oceans teeming with life, and seafood supplies safeguarded for this and future generations.

Our mission is to end overfishing. We use our ecolabel and fishery certification program 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 our partners to transform the seafood market to a sustainable basis.

Fisheries meeting the MSC Fisheries Standard are helping to deliver on thirty-four SDG targets.

UN Sustainable Development Goals

We align with the following UN Sustainable Development Goals: