SEAFOODNEWS.COM By Peggy Parker — October 19, 2015 — The fourth annual audit for Alaska Responsible Fisheries Management (RFM) certification has been completed for sablefish (black cod), Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) announced this morning.
ASMI requested assessment of the sablefish fisheries to the FAO-based standard first in April 2010. Final certification was given in October 2011. Last May the Fishing Vessels Owners Association became the new client holding the certificate for this fishery.
The audit covers changes to the management regime, regulations and their implementation since the previous assessment, in September 2014. The report determines whether these changes and current practices remain consistent with the overall scorings of the fishery allocated during initial certification.
Within the report are descriptions of how the sablefish fishery conforms to 13 standards, called clauses from the RFM framework, that range from data collection to fishermen’s competence, to ecosystem impacts. In all cases, the fishery was rated “high”, the best mark given.
Details of meetings with managers, law enforcement, biologists, and fishermen and processors, are included in the report.
This story originally appeared on SeafoodNews.com, a subscription site. It has been reprinted with permission.