Saving Seafood

Atlantic Menhaden achieves MSC certification

September 3, 2019 — The following was released by the Marine Stewardship Council:

Atlantic Menhaden caught by Omega Protein have been granted certification today against the Marine Stewardship Council standard for sustainable fishing. The certification comes following more than two years of detailed independent review by conformity assessment body, SAI Global, and extensive stakeholder input.

Atlantic menhaden (Brevoortia tyrannus) are small, oily fish that are caught commercially in a reduction fishery and a bait fishery. They appear in estuaries and coastal waters from northern Florida to Nova Scotia. While considered unfit for direct human consumption, menhaden caught via the modern purse seine reduction method are used in fishmeal and fish oil for human and animal nutrition, due to their high natural concentration of healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Menhaden are also valuable as bait for fishermen targeting other commercially valuable species, such as lobster.  The Gulf of Mexico menhaden fishery is currently in assessment with Omega Protein and Daybrook Fisheries jointly requesting the assessment.

“Congratulations to Omega Protein on achieving certification,” said Brian Perkins, Americas Director for the Marine Stewardship Council. “The certification signifies a dedication not only to sustainable menhaden fishing and to safeguarding marine ecosystems, but supporting the hardworking fishermen, processors, and everyone else who depend on the fishery for their livelihoods.”

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Menhaden is “one of the most selective, and effective fisheries”[i] with minimal bycatch. Between the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts, the U.S. menhaden fishery is the second largest in the country by weight, trailing only Alaska pollock. Most recent stock assessments of Atlantic menhaden confirm that neither species is undergoing overfishing or being overfished[ii].

“Omega Protein is appreciative that the sustainable Atlantic menhaden fishery has now been certified against the most rigorous sustainability standards of the Marine Stewardship Council,” said Omega Protein President and CEO Bret Scholtes. He continued, “The menhaden fishery has continuously operated in Reedville, Virginia since the 1870s and the population of menhaden remains robust and abundant. When buyers purchase seafood products with the blue MSC label, they can be sure they come from a sustainable fishery that has met the MSC Fisheries standard. This certification will differentiate our fishmeal and oil products from competitors on the global market.”

Stakeholder input is a critical part of the MSC fisheries assessment process and includes an objections process which allows for detailed scrutiny and transparency in the application of the MSC Fisheries Standard. Assessment includes a formal objections procedure to provide an orderly, structured process by which concerns about certification decisions can be lodged, reviewed and resolved, fairly and transparently by an independent adjudicator. The Atlantic Menhaden fishery assessment included several objections from registered stakeholders and involved the oversight of an independent adjudicator to ultimately determine if the determination by SAI Global should be upheld.

The MSC standard was established in 1997 and is the only wild caught seafood standard and ecolabeling program to meet United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (UNFAO) guidelines as well as meet Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative (GSSI) benchmarking criteria. The standards used to evaluate fisheries have been developed in deliberation with scientists, industry, and conservation groups, and reflect the most up-to-date fisheries science and management practices.

The MSC fishery standards are based on three core principles that every fishery must meet:

  1. Sustainable fish stocks: Fishing activity must be at a level which ensures it can continue indefinitely.
  2. Minimizing environmental impact: Fishing operations must be managed to maintain the structure, productivity, function, and diversity of the ecosystem.
  3. Effective Management: The fishery must comply with relevant laws and have a management system that is responsive to changing circumstances.

The Atlantic menhaden fishery is certified through 2024 and can enter reassessment after the five year period. During the five year certification, the fishery must undergo annual surveillance audits in order to ensure their ongoing compliance with the MSC’s requirements.

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MSC certifies Atlantic menhaden fishery as sustainable

September 3, 2019 — The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) has certified the Atlantic menhaden fishery as expected, Omega Protein, the Houston, Texas-based division of Canadian seafood giant Cooke Inc. that applied for the certification, announced on Tuesday.

The decision follows a favorable ruling by an independent adjudicator against challenges by several NGOs, as earlier reported by Undercurrent News, and concludes a two-year effort by Omega.

“When we started this process in the Spring of 2017, we were confident that our Atlantic menhaden fishery could meet the high bar for MSC certification,” said Bret Scholtes, Omega Protein’s CEO. “Now that our fishery is officially certified, consumers around the world will know the work our fishermen do every day to ensure our products come from a sustainable, responsibly harvested resource.”

Read the full story at Undercurrent News

Read the MSC statements here and here

ASMFC Atlantic Menhaden Board Maintains TAC at 216,000 MT for 2020

August 7, 2019 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Atlantic Menhaden Management Board maintained the total allowable catch (TAC) of 216,000 mt for the 2020 fishing season with the option to revisit the 2020 TAC following review of the 2019 single-species and ecological reference point benchmark stock assessments and peer-review reports. The TAC will be made available to the states based on the state-by-state allocation established by Amendment 3 (see table below).

The 2019 benchmark stock assessments are scheduled for peer review at the Southeast Data, Assessment and Review process (SEDAR 69) in early November. It is expected the benchmark assessments and peer-review reports will be available for Board review in February 2020. The assessments will be used to evaluate the health of the stock and inform the management of the species in an ecological context. Should the Board determine a change in the quota is necessary after review of the assessments, a two-thirds vote would be required for reconsideration of the 2020 TAC.

Read the full release here

Adjudicator shoots down objections to MSC certification of Atlantic menhaden

August 1, 2019 — An independent adjudicator has dismissed nearly all of the objections raised against granting the Atlantic menhaden fishery certification by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC).

Omega Protein, the Houston, Texas-based division of Canada’s Cooke filed for the MSC label for both Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico menhaden fisheries in June 2017 and received a positive recommendation from SAI Global for the Atlantic fishery in March 2019.

But the request also received two objections, one from the Nature Conservancy and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, the other by the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TCRP), the Coastal Conservation Association and the American Sportfishing Association.

Read the full story at Undercurrent News

Independent Adjudicator Rejects Objections to Atlantic Menhaden MSC Certification, Requests Clarification On One Point

July 31, 2019 — Today, an independent adjudicator found that most of the objections raised to the certification of the Atlantic menhaden fishery against the Marine Stewardship Council standard are unsubstantiated, dismissing all but one involving the future adoption of ecologically based management, where he is seeking language clarification.

Omega Protein filed for MSC certification for the Atlantic menhaden fishery in 2017, and the fishery was officially recommended for certification by independent certification body SAI Global earlier this year.

Two separate objections to SAI Global’s recommendation were filed: one by the Nature Conservancy and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, the other by the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, the Coastal Conservation Association and the American Sportfishing Association.

After a July 8 hearing at the MSC Office in Washington, D.C., involving all parties, the independent adjudicator, Eldon V.C. Greenberg, found most of the objectors’ claims to be unconvincing.

For example, Mr. Greenberg wrote that the objectors’ assertion that “more recent data” showed that bycatch in the menhaden fishery was higher than previously estimated was “incorrect,” and that low bycatch levels in the fishery do not warrant more significant NOAA observer coverage. He also echoed Omega Protein’s argument that SAI Global was within its right to consider that menhaden management is “conservative and precautionary,” and that current harvest quota “essentially presents a 0% risk of exceeding overfishing thresholds.”

Significantly, Mr. Greenberg backed up SAI Global’s finding that, while the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) continues to work on ecosystem-based management of menhaden, it is enough that there is “a suite of measures in place that act together to avoid ecosystem risks.”

Another main argument made by the objectors involved the cap on menhaden harvest in the Chesapeake Bay of 51,000 mt, created by the ASMFC but not adopted by the state of Virginia. The objectors essentially argued that SAI Global should have made an independent judgment of the different management regimes of the ASMFC and Virginia, according to Mr. Greenberg.

On this topic, Mr. Greenberg wrote that SAI Global and Omega Protein “have the better of the argument.” He cited Omega Protein’s arguments that the Bay cap has never actually been exceeded, and that the ASMFC has not found the state of Virginia out of compliance with its management plan, writing, “In the absence of any action by the Commission, [SAI Global] would be treading on shaky ground indeed to find non-compliance on its own initiative, especially when the [total allowable catch] has never actually been exceeded.”

Only on the issue of ecologically based management did Mr. Greenberg not fully dismiss the objectors’ claims. He requested SAI Global issue language clarifying which jurisdictions need to implement the soon-expected ecologically based management measures, and how they are required to implement them. Mr. Greenberg stated that only the language should be changed, but added that there should be no changes to justifications for the recommendation. SAI Global now has 10 days to provide the clarifying language.

Omega Protein and Daybrook Fisheries have also jointly filed for MSC certification for the Gulf menhaden fishery, which has also received a preliminary recommendation for certification by SAI Global.

MSC Certification Recommended for Atlantic Menhaden Fishery

March 8, 2019 — SEAFOOD NEWS — SAI Global, an independent certification body, has officially recommended that the Atlantic menhaden purse seine fishery be certified sustainable against the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) fisheries standard.

In order to receive MSC certification, fisheries are evaluated against 28 performance indicators in three categories: suitability of the stock, minimizing environmental impacts and effective fisheries management. The Atlantic menhaden fishery cored 82.5, 86.0, and 92.2, respectively, in the three categories.

“We’re very pleased with today’s recommendation, which takes us right up to the fish line of the MSC certification process,” said Bret Scholtes, President and CEO of Omega Protein. “As we complete this process, we will continue working collaboratively with independent certifiers and our management partners to ensure a healthy and sustainable fishery.”

As part of the certification process, in addition to their commitment to menhaden’s long-term sustainability, Omega Protein has agreed to work with management partners at the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) on the three sustainability objectives. Omega is supporting the ASMFC’s development of harvest strategy, as well as new rules that take into consideration the ecological role of Atlantic menhaden. They are also working with NMFS to improve the frequency of observer coverage, making sure bycatch and interactions with marine mammals and endangered, threatened and protected species remain at minimal levels.

This story was originally published on SeafoodNews.com, a subscription site. It is reprinted with permission.

Read the full report from SAI Global here

Atlantic menhaden purse seine fishery one step closer to MSC certification

March 6, 2019 — The Atlantic menhaden purse seine fishery has been recommended for Marine Stewardship Council sustainability certification by independent certification body SAI Global, following the completion of a review of the fishery.

The announcement is positive news for Houston, Texas-based Omega Protein, which was pursuing the certification. By the review’s standards, the fishery scored an 82.5 for sustainability of the stock, an 86 for minimizing environmental impacts, and a 92.2 for effective fisheries management – surpassing the average score of 80 required for each category.

“We’re very pleased with today’s recommendation, which takes us right up to the finish line of the MSC certification process,” Omega Protein President Bret Scholtes said. “As we complete this process, we will continue working collaboratively with independent certifiers and our management partners to ensure a healthy and sustainable fishery.”

The certification recommendation comes after a wave of heavy opposition from environmental advocates, including The Pew Charitable Trusts, which pushed for and successfully attained cuts to the quota for menhaden in the Chesapeake Bay, one of the main fishing grounds for the species. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Council had reduced the quota to 51,000 metric tons (MT) from 87,216 MT.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Read the full report from SAI Global here

 

Cooke another step closer to getting MSC label for Atlantic menhaden

March 6, 2019 — The independent certification body SAI Global on Wednesday officially recommended that the Marine Stewardship Council grant certification to the Atlantic menhaden fishery, the US’ second-largest source of the fish.

The announcement was the expected conclusion following the release of a report by SAI in early December, though a number of environmental advocacy groups had expressed concerns about the harvesting of the important forage fish and were expected to publish critical comment letters.

“We’re very pleased with today’s recommendation, which takes us right up to the finish line of the MSC certification process,” said Bret Scholtes, president and CEO of Omega Protein, the Houston, Texas-based company that initiated the MSC-related review in June 2017.

“As we complete this process, we will continue working collaboratively with independent certifiers and our management partners to ensure a healthy and sustainable fishery.”

The Atlantic menhaden fishery scored well in all three categories (82.5, 86.0 and 92.2), well above the minimum 60, the company noted in a press release. The assessment report compliments the fishery for having a comprehensive fishery management plan and menhaden-specific conservation and management measures in place.

Read the full story at Undercurrent News

Read the full report from SAI Global here

Virginia dodges sanction on menhaden

February 13, 2019 — A threat to shut down Virginia’s menhaden fishery disappeared after an interstate commission decided it wouldn’t find the state out of a compliance with a new quota for the oily fish.

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission cut the quota for menhaden caught in the Chesapeake Bay by purse-seine vessels by 42 percent back in 2017 — but the General Assembly balked this year and last at enacting that lower quota into state law.

This month, the commission indefinitely postponed taking any action to find Virginia out of compliance, a finding that could trigger a federal moratorium on the fishery.

Menhaden has made tiny Reedville the biggest U.S. fishing port, measured by pounds, outside Alaska. Reedville’s fleet of purse seine vessels — large former offshore oil service ships or former minesweepers — scoop up menhaden schools with giant nets, then deliver the fish to the Omega Proteins processing plant, where they’re turned into fish oil and animal feed.

The commission said that if the Reedville fleet catches more than 51,000 metric tons in the Bay — its current quota — it could still decide Virginia is out of compliance. But it noted that the Bay catch since 2012 has been below that level — Virginia’s noncompliance is strictly that it hasn’t enacted the commission’s cap into state law.

Read the full story at the Daily Press

 

Science Center for Marine Fisheries Continues Work with New National Science Foundation Grant

January 23, 2019 — The following was released by the Science Center for Marine Fisheries:

Following the completion of its initial 5-year National Science Foundation (NSF) grant, the Science Center for Marine Fisheries (SCeMFiS) has been awarded a new Phase 2 grant by the NSF to continue its work. SCeMFiS will use the new grant to further its track record of quality, collaborative research with its fishing industry and academic partners.

The grant is part of NSF’s Industry/University Cooperative Research Center (IUCRC) program, which was developed to initiate long-term partnerships among industry, academia, and government. SCeMFiS is the only Phase 2 IUCRC program dedicated exclusively to fisheries and marine science research.

“Our new Phase 2 grant will allow SCeMFiS researchers to continue our collaborative work with the fishing industry,” said Center Director Dr. Eric Powell, of the University of Southern Mississippi, one of the academic members of SCeMFiS. “The Phase 2 grant will enable SCeMFiS to continue to fund the groundbreaking research necessary to maintain healthy fish stocks and healthy fisheries at a time when reliance on the best available science is increasingly critical.”

As it moves into Phase 2, SCeMFiS will focus on reducing scientific uncertainty; the effects of climate change on fish stocks and fishing communities; resolving issues between fishing and offshore energy interests; and developing sound ecosystem-based fisheries management.

“Our priorities for Phase 2 reflect the biggest challenges in the future of the fishing industry,” said Center Site Director Dr. Roger Mann, of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, another SCeMFiS academic institution. “To meet these challenges, the industry and fisheries managers will need the kind of innovative research that SCeMFiS has regularly produced over the last 5 years.”

In its first 5 years, SCeMFiS has done groundbreaking research on finfish and shellfish. Among other projects, the Center produced the first age-frequency distributions for ocean quahog, one of the longest-lived species in the ocean. SCeMFiS scientists conducted the first benthic survey on important ocean habitat east of Nantucket, and mapped the shifting range of surfclams, documenting how climate change is beginning to affect the species.

SCeMFiS has also designed a pelagic survey for Atlantic menhaden and provided recommendations to improve port sampling for the species, carried out the only scientific work to date on Atlantic chub mackerel, and carried out an economic analysis for longfin squid.

All of these projects were reviewed, approved, and funded by the industry members on our Industry Advisory Board, who rely on sound science for the health of their fisheries and businesses.

“Fisheries management is only as good as the science it’s based on,” said Greg DiDomenico, Executive Director of the Garden State Seafood Association and a member of SCeMFiS’ Industry Advisory Board. “That’s why it’s so important for the fishing industry to maintain its partnership with SCeMFiS. We need to promote the best available science.”