Saving Seafood

Marine Stewardship Council Joins Science Center for Marine Fisheries

December 18, 2025 — The following was released by the Science Center for Marine Fisheries:

The Science Center for Marine Fisheries (SCEMFIS) is pleased to announce that the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) has joined the Center as a member of its Industry Advisory Board (IAB). The addition of MSC will further the Center’s mission to identify and fund the latest developments in marine science, and to support healthy, sustainable fisheries.

The MSC is the world’s leading environmental certification for wild-capture fisheries. Meeting the organization’s Fisheries Standard is a rigorous process that ensures that any seafood product carrying the MSC-certified blue fish label meets the highest benchmarks for sustainability. Fisheries that are certified against the Fisheries Standard, which is confirmed after an extensive independent audit, have a proven track record of effective management, strong science, and environmental stewardship.

“The Marine Stewardship Council shares the Center’s mission of supporting critical scientific research for economically important fisheries,” said Dr. Eric Powell, of the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory at the University of Southern Mississippi, and the Director of SCEMFIS. “Our research has helped our fisheries be better managed and more sustainable, and MSC’s membership will help us expand that work.”

SCEMFIS is a member of the National Science Foundation’s Industry-University Cooperative Research Centers program, which brings together leading marine science academics and members of fishing industry to collaborate on relevant research projects, fill gaps in scientific knowledge, and utilize the results of completed research to fill industry needs. As a member of the Center’s Industry Advisory Board, MSC will have a role in identifying and funding needed research for some of the country’s most important finfish and shellfish fisheries.

“The MSC is delighted to join SCEMFIS as a member to support and contribute to cutting-edge research that deepens our understanding of U.S. fisheries,” said Anthony Mastitski, Fisheries Outreach Manager for the MSC. “SCEMFIS plays a pivotal role in advancing scientific research across U.S. fisheries, including many that are MSC-certified. Thanks in part to SCEMFIS, these fisheries have maintained their certifications and continue to offer sustainable seafood options to consumers at home and abroad.”

The partnership between SCEMFIS and MSC naturally aligns due to complementary missions focused on sustainable fisheries. SCEMFIS’s work has shown tangible impact with helping certified fisheries address and close conditions within the MSC program like improving stock health, reducing environmental impacts, and strengthening the scientific foundations of sustainable management.

SCEMFIS has long supported research that improves the sustainability of our member fisheries. Several fisheries that have benefited from SCEMFIS research have been certified sustainable by the MSC standard, including Atlantic and Gulf menhaden, Atlantic surfclam and ocean quahog, longfin and shortfin squid, black sea bass, summer flounder, and scup.

SCEMFIS research has examined important issues facing these fisheries. SCEMFIS researchers have published groundbreaking findings on topics such as how climate change has shifted the habitats of Atlantic surfclam and ocean quahog; have found ways to better estimate the ages and population sizes of surfclams and ocean quahogs; are researching ways to better set Atlantic menhaden catch limits; developed a detailed model of how Gulf menhaden and its predators interact in the Gulf food web; and have documented the economic impact of the Atlantic surfclam, scup, longfin squid, and summer flounderfisheries.

“Our industry members are committed to the highest standards of sustainability,” said Joe Myers, Senior Director of Innovation & Sustainability of Sea Watch International, and the current chair of the SCEMFIS IAB. “That’s why we are thrilled to work with MSC as a partner in supporting the research that is vital to the future of our industries.”

About SCEMFIS
The Science Center for Marine Fisheries (SCEMFIS) brings together academic and industry expertise to address urgent scientific challenges facing sustainable fisheries. Through advanced methods, analytical tools, and collaborative research, SCEMFIS works to reduce uncertainty in stock assessments and improve the long-term sustainability of key marine resources.
SCEMFIS is an Industry-University Cooperative Research Center supported by the National Science Foundation. Industry organizations join SCEMFIS through an Industry Membership Agreement with one of the center’s site universities and contribute both financial support and valuable expertise to help shape research priorities.

Its university partners include the University of Southern Mississippi (lead institution) and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science at the College of William and Mary. The center also collaborates with scientists from a broad network of institutions, including Old Dominion University, Rutgers University, the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth, the University of Maryland, and the University of Rhode Island. These researchers bring deep expertise in finfish, shellfish, and marine mammal science.
Demand for SCEMFIS’s services continues to grow, driven by the fishing industry’s need for responsive, science-based support. The center provides timely access to expert input on stock assessment issues, participates in working groups, and conducts targeted studies that lead to better data collection, improved survey design, and more accurate modeling-all in service of sustainable, science-driven fishery management.

About the Marine Stewardship Council
The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) is an international non-profit organization dedicated to ending overfishing and ensuring seafood supplies for the future. A pioneer in sustainable fishing standards and a trusted nonprofit advocate for ocean sustainability, the MSC program sets environmental criteria to ensure healthy fish stocks, minimal harmful impacts on ocean ecosystems, and to promote effective management. The MSC Fisheries Standard is the world’s most widely used environmental sustainability standard for wild-caught seafood, and the MSC blue fish ecolabel helps consumers identify products from fisheries that are independently certified. For more information, visit www.msc.org.

MSC research finds tuna fisheries are at most risk from climate change

November 4, 2025 — A new suite of research led by the Marine Stewardship Council has found fisheries targeting tuna species are at the most risk from the impacts of climate change.

The research paper, “Climate change risks to future sustainable fishing using global seafood ecolabel data,” was recently published in Cell Reports Sustainability and reviewed more than 500 fisheries around the world with a sustainability certification. The study examined species under multiple gear types and species, including whitefish, krill, lobster, and tuna.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Global appetite for sustainable seafood remains high – MSC Annual Report launches

September 30, 2025 — The following was released by the Marine Stewardship Council:

The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) has today published its latest Annual Report, Working together for sustainable seafood, which this year points to the growth in appetite for sustainable seafood from both consumers and industry.

An international non-profit organisation on a mission to stop overfishing and the environmental challenges that this poses for the ocean, MSC-engaged catch now represent a fifth (20.6%) of global wild marine catch, with encouraging progress in under-represented areas such as Latin America and West Africa.

The past year also saw an 8% increase in MSC-labelled seafood sold, reaching a total retail value of US$14 billion. This growing number of sustainable seafood products gives consumers the ability to choose options which help protect the ocean. One notable area of growth has been in tuna, with 300,000 tonnes of MSC-labelled tuna sold – a 30% increase from the previous year.

As our ocean continues to warm, management is crucial so that our oceans can continue to provide a precious and renewable source of low carbon nutritious protein for humanity for generations to come.

Three-quarters of global whitefish fisheries now MSC-certified

September 12, 2025 — The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) has announced that three-quarters of the whitefish caught in global fisheries is now certified MSC sustainable, representing “a major milestone for the seafood industry.”

“Whitefish represents one of the most compelling sustainability success stories in seafood,” MSC Chief Program Officer Nicolas Guichoux said. “Many of these fisheries have now maintained certification for decades and continued to improve their practices, demonstrating not only their long-term commitment to operating responsibly but the clear commercial incentive of doing so, as well.”

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Ocean Harvesters Responds to Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s August 7 Press Release

August 8, 2025 — The following was released by Ocean Harvesters:

A press release issued yesterday by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) continues a multi-year pattern of gross dishonesty, as it presented an incomplete and misleading narrative regarding menhaden management in the Chesapeake Bay. CBF’s misleading release includes a statement from Virginia Executive Director Chris Moore that ignores and disparages the established science, and the regulatory framework that ensures the fishery remains sustainable and responsibly managed.

In response, Ocean Harvesters has issued the following:

The CBF release refers to “growing warning signs around the Chesapeake Bay”:

“There are clear signs of peril in the Chesapeake, and menhaden are one of the connecting threads.“

This claim is not supported by any independent, peer-reviewed science, but rather represents the biased opinion of a special interest group. The assertion that “there are clear signs of peril in the Chesapeake, and menhaden are one of the connecting threads” overstates both the available scientific evidence and the known ecological dynamics of the Bay. While ecosystem concerns merit monitoring, attributing broad Chesapeake Bay challenges to already conservative menhaden harvest regulations is not supported by the best available science.

In 2024, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) presented data to the ASMFC on osprey populations which showed osprey reproduction challenges and nest failures occurring on both the Atlantic and Pacific Coast, including many areas with no menhaden fishery at all. In a letter to Congress earlier this year, USGS said it found no direct link between regulated menhaden harvests and declining osprey populations. The federal agency emphasized that multiple, complex factors, including weather, predation and prey access, contribute to ecological trends in the Bay.

 

Scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey present a slide to the ASMFC showing that the recent leveling-off in Maryland and Virginia osprey populations, after years of explosive growth, is a phenomenon also being seen in states across the nation, on both the East and West Coast.

Ocean Harvesters menhaden fishermen.

 

The statement includes: “This new timing of intense fishing pressure may be contributing to the problems facing the Chesapeake Bay.”

Any adjustment in the timing of Bay fishing is minor and reflects natural shifts in the seasonal population dynamics of menhaden, not a quantifiable increase in harvest pressure or ecological harm. No scientific evidence has established any link between this timing shift and the broad ecological challenges described in the release.

While the press release references anecdotal concerns from Maryland fishers, it omits mention of well-documented water quality issues in Maryland that may also explain the localized fishery observations cited.

Another claim in the statement reads: “One foreign-owned company consistently prevents progress in Virginia, and now coastwide at the ASMFC.”

This statement is inaccurate. Omega Protein is a Virginia-based processing company, and the menhaden are harvested by Ocean Harvesters, a separate American-owned and operated company whose crews are overwhelmingly local, unionized, and multi-generational, represented by UFCW Local 400, AFL-CIO. This domestic fleet works in full compliance with harvest controls, vessel reporting, and ecosystem-based management thresholds set by the ASMFC. CBF is clearly attempting to mislead the audience with distorted information and is crossing a very serious ethical line of misinformation that merits further scrutiny.

CBF’s repeated implication that the industry has obstructed scientific research misrepresents the actual facts. Ocean Harvesters supported a comprehensive ecosystem study of the menhaden fishery developed by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) in 2021. However, the proposal that later emerged in the Virginia General Assembly used a lower cost, novel methodology that had not undergone scientific peer review. The industry raised legitimate concerns-not about research itself, but about relying on an untested approach for such a politically charged issue. CBF has repeatedly and inaccurately characterized this as blanket opposition to science. In fact, the industry continues to support the original, science-based study design developed by ASMFC, and no menhaden research could be conducted without longstanding industry cooperation.

The statement concludes: “The Chesapeake’s fisheries and predators can’t wait. Menhaden are key to a thriving Chesapeake Bay, and a healthy, productive Chesapeake is vital to the entire Atlantic coast.”

There is simply no Chesapeake Bay crisis that would threaten fisheries or predators. The menhaden fishery is already one of the most scientifically scrutinized in the United States.

The menhaden fishery is currently:

  • Not overfished, and overfishing is not occurring, as confirmed by repeated stock assessments.
  • Certified sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)
  • Governed by ecosystem reference points that account for predator-prey relationships
  • Subject to real-time reporting, seasonal harvest caps, and rigorous monitoring under ASMFC’s management plan

Here is the true threat: CBF’s statements add up to nothing more than scare tactics that threatens the livelihood of hundreds of blue collar, multi-generational employees, many of whom are minority and UFCW Local 400 union workers, in Virginia’s Northern Neck.

About Ocean Harvesters
Ocean Harvesters owns and operates a fleet of more than 30 fishing vessels in the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. The company’s purse-seine fishing operation is exclusively engaged in the harvest of menhaden, a small, nutrient-dense fish used to produce fish meal, fish oil, and fish solubles. Both its Atlantic and Gulf Menhaden fisheries are certified sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council. Committed to responsible fishing operations, Ocean Harvesters is proud to be heir to a fishing legacy that extends nearly 150 years.

Marine Stewardship Council Appoints Laura McDearis as New U.S. Program Director Amid Rising Demand for Sustainable Seafood

July 31, 2025 — The following was released by the Marine Stewardship Council:

The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), the world’s leading certification and ecolabeling program for sustainable wild-caught seafood, has appointed Laura McDearis as Program Director for MSC U.S. – a pivotal leadership move as the nation faces rising consumer demand for sustainable seafood and increasing pressure to safeguard marine ecosystems. In her new role, McDearis will lead the MSC’s U.S. program, supporting fisheries, seafood businesses, and stakeholders as they work to meet the growing demand for certified sustainable seafood.

McDearis steps into the role at a strong moment for the MSC in the U.S. With global seafood demand projected to double by 2050, ensuring fisheries are managed sustainably is critical to food security. The U.S. is the largest supplier of MSC certified sustainable seafood globally; approximately 85% of all U.S. fisheries are MSC certified representing 61 unique species. The MSC blue fish label now appears on over 1,380 unique products available at retailers across the U.S. in canned, frozen, fresh, supplements and pet aisles.  Consumer recognition is also growing and trust remains high: one third of American seafood consumers recognize the MSC ecolabel, and 73% have high trust in the label. As the MSC marks 25 years of certified sustainable fisheries in the U.S., its impact on the water continues to grow, supporting a thriving, resilient seafood industry and driving meaningful long-term sustainability.
“Laura brings extensive experience in the seafood industry, program management, and stakeholder collaboration to this leadership position,” said Erika Feller, MSC Americas Regional Director. “Her proven track record will help us continue to strengthen the MSC’s role in the U.S. and ensure healthy oceans for future generations.”
McDearis’s appointment comes at a time when sustainable seafood is no longer a niche concern – it’s a global imperative. With climate change, overfishing, and shifting consumer expectations reshaping the seafood landscape, the MSC’s role in developing rigorous standards and promoting environmentally sustainable practices has never been more vital.
McDearis brings nearly 15 years of experience in sustainable fisheries to the role. Since joining the MSC in 2017, McDearis has led corporate partnerships and commitments to certified sustainable seafood across the US. Her background includes work in Alaska for a sportfishing lodge, being an observer in the Alaska snow crab fishery, serving as a fisheries management consultant for Ecuadorian spiny lobster, and co-founding a sustainable seafood company in California.
“I am honored to take on this leadership role with the MSC team and look forward to working closely with our fishery and commercial partners to make certified sustainable seafood easily accessible and recognizable around the globe,” said McDearis. “Together, we can ensure that wild seafood remains a vital, healthy, and environmentally sustainable resource for generations to come.”
For more than 25 years, the MSC has worked to demonstrate sustainable fishing practices through its independent, third-party certification. Today, 19.3% of the world’s wild marine catch is engaged in the MSC program.
About the Marine Stewardship Council
The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) is an international non-profit organization dedicated to ending overfishing and ensuring seafood supplies for the future. The MSC Fisheries Standard is the world’s most widely used sustainability standard for wild-caught seafood, and the MSC blue fish label helps consumers identify products from fisheries that are independently certified as sustainable and well-managed. For more information, visit www.msc.org.
 

Del Mar Seafoods expanding operations with new facility

July 15, 2025 — Watsonville, California, U.S.A.-based Del Mar Seafoods has expanded its operations with the lease of a new facility.

Founded in 1988, Del Mar Seafoods is a vertically integrated seafood producer and processor in California that produces and supplies over 30 million pounds of squid, anchovies, and other wild-caught species per year. The company was a part of collaboration to obtain Marine Stewardship Council certification for the California squid fishery, which was ultimately granted in 2023.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

MSC announces USD 6.4 million investment in fishery sustainability fund

June 18, 2025 — Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Chief Executive Rupert Howes has announced that the organization will make a USD 6.4 million (EUR 5.6 million) investment in its Ocean Stewardship Fund by 2030.

Since its inception in 2019, the Ocean Stewardship Fund has channeled USD 8.8 million (EUR 7.7 million) into over 200 fisheries and projects worldwide, nearly 90 of which were in developing economies. The fund’s main goal is to end overfishing, but it also supports a wide variety of initiatives that make fisheries more sustainable.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Workers’ rights campaign continues push for Wi-Fi on distant-water fishing vessels

March 25, 2025 — Silwanus, an Indonesian migrant fisher, was working aboard the Marine Stewardship Council-certified (MSC) Taiwanese distant-water vessel Chang Yi No. 368 in 2024 when a refrigerator door slammed shut during a big wave and severed his fingertips. 

“My fingers are gone. If help would have been there right away, maybe my fingers would not be lost,” he told SeafoodSource through translator Truly Walean during the 2025 Seafood Expo North America (SENA), which ran from 16 to 18 March.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource