November 20, 2018 — The Marine Stewardship Council has granted auditors an extra three months – until March 6 — to finish their final report on whether to grant certification to the menhaden fishery on the Atlantic coast of the United States.
However, Ben Landry, public affairs specialist for Houston, Texas-based Omega Protein, the US’ largest harvester of menhaden and a division of the Cooke group of seafood companies, said he doesn’t think the extra cushion will be needed as the audit is expected to be wrapped up within weeks.
By certifying both the menhaden fisheries on the Atlantic coast and in the Gulf of Mexico, MSC looks to bolster its presence in the US significantly. Combined, the two fisheries account for nearly 800,000 metric ton of fish — about 11% of all of the wild-caught fish in the US – second only to the already MSC-certified Alaskan pollock fishery, responsible for 1.5 billion metric tons, or 30%, based on data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
According to assessment reports by third-party assessors and NOAA data, roughly 70% of US landings by volume have been certified by MSC, including Alaskan pollock, and another 16% are currently under review, including the two menhaden fisheries, an MSC official told Undercurrent.
The menhaden fisheries are also North America’s largest source of fish for meal and oil, providing Blacks Harbour, New Brunswick, Canada-based Cooke with a large source of omega-3-enriched feed for its considerable salmon aquaculture operations. Cooke completed its acquisition of Omega Protein almost exactly one year ago.
Read the full story at Undercurrent News