Friend or foe -- that is the big question confronting the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) in light of December's dust-up between itself and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Ironically, it is same question the industry has been asking the MSC to answer since the eco-label group's inception.

The recent feud over the certification of Indian Ocean tuna is pitting the WWF, a founder and parent of the MSC, against its offspring.