Two Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus) fisheries, one located in the Gulf of Alaska (GoA) and the other in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI), have earned Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification having been independently assessed and found to be sustainable and well managed. The certification covers four methods of fishing for Pacific Cod in the GoA and the BSAI longline, trawl, pot and jig. Pacific cod is sold internationally, with North America, Europe and Asia being the primary markets. This popular whitefish is used to produce fillets, salted cod (bacalau) and frozen headed and gutted fish blocks that are reprocessed into various products all around the world.
Both the GoA and the BSAI Pacific cod fisheries are managed primarily by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC) in federal waters, and Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) in state waters.
The client for both fisheries is the Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation (AFDF). AFDF is a non-profit foundation that has worked in support of the commercial fishing industry in Alaska since 1978. For 32 years, it has focused on sustainable harvest and full utilization of the harvested fishery resource. The total allowable catch of Pacific cod in the BSAI management area for all gear types in 2010 is 168,780 tonnes. The total allowable catch of Pacific cod in the GoA for all gear types in 2010 is 59,563 tonnes.