Saving Seafood

The lobster industry has lost a crucial certification for sustainability

August 4, 2020 — In significant news for the lobster industry, the Marine Stewardship Council has suspended its certification of lobster as sustainable, citing concerns about the lucrative industry’s effect on critically endangered North Atlantic right whales.

The suspension, effective Aug. 30, applies to all lobster in the Gulf of Maine, according to the council, a London-based nonprofit that sets international standards for sustainable fishing.

“The suspension comes following an expedited audit and thorough review … during which it was determined that the fishery no longer meets the MSC fisheries standard,” said Jackie Marks, a spokeswoman for the council.

The suspension was linked to a federal district court ruling in April that found that the National Marine Fisheries Service had violated the Endangered Species Act by failing to protect right whales from becoming entangled in millions of lobster lines.

Read the full story at The Boston Globe

MSC suspends Maine lobster fishery certification

August 4, 2020 — The Maine Certified Sustainable Lobster Association (MCLSA) has announced that the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification for the Maine lobster fishery has been suspended due to a recent decision on a federal court case.

The case, the Center for Biological Diversity v. Ross, found that the National Marine Fisheries Service failed to include an “incidental take statement” for the highly endangered North Atlantic right whale. As a result, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg found that the U.S. lobster fishery is in violation of the Endangered Species Act.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

MSC announces new research funding to improve fishery observer safety

July 23, 2020 — The following was released by the Marine Stewardship Council:

New funding to support research into fishery observer safety and welfare, has been announced by the Marine Stewardship Council today. The global not-for-profit organisation – which sets an environmental standard for sustainable fishing – said it hoped to accelerate progress in safeguarding observers who carry out a vital role in protecting our oceans.

The move follows the first death of an observer on a vessel fishing for MSC certified catch in the Western Central Pacific. The shocking and tragic death of Eritara Aati Kaierua on board the Win Far 636 in the Pacific in March 2020, is still under police investigation in Tarawa, Kiribati but there have been persistent reports of the dangers facing observers globally. 

Observers play a vital role ensuring the monitoring, compliance and surveillance of commercial fishing activities. Mandated by fishery management organisations, their work focuses on collecting data to enable effective regulation of marine activity. However, according to the Association of Professional Observers, the isolated and sometimes contentious nature of their jobs can lead to attempts at bribery, intimidation and violence.

MSC does not require fisheries to work with observers as a part of its certification requirements – but in practice many fisheries rely on observers to collect the essential evidence needed for sustainable fisheries management – especially in remote parts of the world.

MSC wholly condemns any violence or intimidation of observers. As part of its contribution to the collective efforts of the industry, human rights NGOs, governments and regulators to improve observer safety, MSC is allocating £100,000 of funding for projects and initiatives aimed at improving observer safety at sea.

The funds will be deployed through its Ocean Stewardship Fund in the next round which opens for applications in September 2020. This tranche of funding will also support initiatives focussed on the use of electronic monitoring and other technologies designed to support observers and deliver assurance of fishing operations.

The MSC action comes as there is a growing focus on this area, including campaigns on observer safety by Greenpeace and the Association of Professional Observers as well as the publication of a recent report by the organisation Human Rights at Sea.

The Chief Executive of MSC, Rupert Howes, said:

“The MSC’s mission is to end the global crisis in overfishing. This is an enormous and complex challenge, supported by the extraordinary hard work and efforts of many people – including observers.

Governments, law enforcement agencies and regulatory authorities must do more to ensure observer safety. But we recognise – as part of the wider sustainable seafood community – that MSC also has a part to play.  We want to do so in a way which is practical, by helping those who are already working in this field, pilot and test promising initiatives.

By working collaboratively with others, we believe we can help protect the human rights of observers and support them to carry out their vital work safeguarding our oceans.”

Investigation examining MSC suspension of Zoneco Group scallop certification continues

July 13, 2020 — A resolution has yet to be found for the suspension of Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification of Zoneco Group Co’s scallop fishery.

A dispute between the seafood company and the third-party accreditor overseeing the certification saw China’s first MSC fishery certification suspended earlier this year. In January of 2020, the first notice for suspension of fisheries certificate came due to a contractual issue between the certifying agency Acoura – a unit of U.K. based Lloyd’s Register Quality Assurance (LRQA) – and Zoneco (also known as Zhangzidao), the MSC noted in a statement to SeafoodSource.

Read the full story from Seafood Source

BRIAN PERKINS: A new wave of sustainable seafood to feed generations to come

July 6, 2020 — Seafood is having a moment.

Fish, especially canned and frozen options, increasingly have become a go-to choice for Americans during the pandemic as they stock their pantries and freezers; seek out new immune-boosting meal ideas; and look for alternatives to meat due to shortages and health concerns over meat processing. For example, U.S. shelf-stable tuna sales were up 31.2 percent over last year in March, according to Nielsen data.

While increased seafood consumption may be good short-term news for the U.S. seafood industry, it also is combating other major challenges, such as severely decreased foodservice and export business due to the pandemic. We must look at the flexibility and long-term viability of the seafood industry globally to prepare for the long-term implications of the current crisis.

Earlier this month, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) released its “The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2020” (SOFIA) report, which indicates more than a third of fisheries (34.2 percent) globally are operating at unsustainable levels. Compare that to 10 percent in 1990, and it becomes an abundantly clear global issue we must quickly and sustainably address, even as the industry is plagued with pandemic challenges.

While these numbers seem perilous, efforts by the U.N., the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), fisheries and conscious consumers already have led to stock recoveries for skipjack tuna, Alaskan pollock and Atlantic cod. The industry must look to these examples to enact changes that will ensure seafood is around for generations to come.

Read the full opinion piece at GreenBiz

Seafreeze Limited, Sea Fresh USA nab MSC certification for loligo, illex squid

June 30, 2020 — Seafreeze Limited and Sea Fresh USA, both based in North Kingstown, Rhode Island, U.S.A., have achieved Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification for their loligo and illex squid fisheries.

The certification was granted by SCS Global Services for the company’s catches of loligo or longfin squid (Doryteuthis (Amerigo) pealeii) and Northern shortfin squid (Illex illecebrosus), following a 10-month assessment. The certification is good through 2025, subject to annual audits to ensure the MSC standard continues to be met.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

USA Continues to be a Leader in Sustainable Squid

June 30, 2020 — The following was released by the Marine Stewardship Council:

Longfin squid (Doryteuthis (Amerigo) pealeii), also known as loligo, and Northern shortfin squid (Illex illecebrosus) caught by Seafreeze Limited and Sea Fresh USA off the U.S. East Coast achieved Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification today. The accomplishment firmly places the USA as a global leader in the production of certified squid, as the only two MSC-certified sustainably managed fisheries occur in U.S. Atlantic waters. Certification was granted by independent certifier SCS Global Services based on the MSC sustainable fisheries standard following a 10 month assessment, and will remain certified through 2025. The fishery will undergo annual audits during that timeframe to ensure the MSC standard continues to be met.

“The U.S. being a leader in certified sustainable squid is a testament to the hard work by the fishermen and shows important leadership by the companies,” said Brian Perkins, regional director for the Americas at the Marine Stewardship Council. “Congratulations to Seafreeze Limited and Sea Fresh on achieving MSC certification and demonstrating their commitment to sustainability, helping ensure squid are available and the ecosystem is healthy for generations to come. With more certified sustainable squid products easily available around the world, customers can feel good about the squid they’re sourcing and selling.”

The majority of U.S. Illex squid products have historically been sold as bait for other fisheries such as crab, cod and swordfish. In more recent years, Illex has been produced for food service and distributed around the U.S., Europe, and Asia, whereas longfin squid has predominantly served a domestic food service market.

“MSC certification of longfin and Illex squid from the NW Atlantic is something that customers here in the US and overseas have been eager to see in our New England fishery for some time. We are excited to be able to offer MSC certified squid of both species to existing and future customers,” said Chris Lee, Director, Sea Fresh USA, Inc. “Adding the MSC certification confirms, for customers near and far, that they are purchasing from a sustainably harvested resource. As demands on the world’s natural resources intensify, it is important for our customer base to understand what we already knew, that these fisheries are sustainable, well managed US Fisheries.”

Chris Joy of Seafreeze Limited said, “Earning MSC certification for our Atlantic squid harvests is an important milestone for Seafreeze. We have always been committed to providing the highest quality, most responsibly harvested squid available to our customers. This certification is a result of that focus on quality and will be a great benefit for our customers worldwide. The certification of our U.S. Atlantic squid, along with the global reach in squid of our parent company, Profand, and U.S. partner Stavis Seafoods, allows us to offer our customers one of the industry’s most diverse squid inventories. Our goal is to be the industry leader in the species, and the MSC certification is a great step in that direction. ”

When a fishery is successfully certified against the MSC fisheries Standard, its certified catch can be sold with the MSC blue fish label if the entire supply chain is also certified, indicating to customers that it comes from a sustainable, traceable source.

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

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

The first-ever squid fishery to achieve MSC certification came in 2017, with a second species following in 2019

Assessors must reconsider parts of potential bluefin MSC certification

June 29, 2020 — An independent adjudicator, analyzing formal objections to the potential Marine Stewardship Council certification of the Usufuku Honten East Atlantic bluefin tuna fishery, has upheld one of the four objections presented.

The objections were presented by the World Wildlife Fund and The Pew Charitable Trusts in January, after the assessment body, Control Union Pesca Ltd., recommended that the fishery be certified in December 2019. Of the four objections, the independent adjudicator upheld objections to the evidence used to conclude how long bluefin tuna take to grow and reproduce, according to a release from MSC.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

EuroCommerce urges coastal states to negotiate quotas to retain certifications

June 24, 2020 — EuroCommerce, a European organization representing the retail and wholesale sector – with member companies including Amazon, Ahold Delhaize, Ikea, Tesco, and more – has written a letter to multiple coastal states urging speedy negotiations of fishing quotas.

The letter comes as the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), along with MarinTrust – formerly IFFO RS – have suspended accreditation of multiple fisheries due to countries exceeding recommended catch limits. Disputes about catches between coastal states have led overall quotas to be set higher than the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas recommends.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

June National Oceans Month: Marine Stewardship Council Encourages Consumers to Look for the Blue Fish Label to Protect Our Big Blue Future

June 19, 2020 — The following was released by the Marine Stewardship Council:

The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), a non-profit whose sole mission is to make sure wild seafood is around forever, celebrated UN World Oceans Day (June 8) by kicking off its ‘Little Blue Label, Big Blue Future‘ campaign. Through aspirational messages and a compelling video, the MSC campaign runs the duration of June US National Oceans Month and demonstrates how daily decisions as simple as meal planning impact the ocean and its inhabitants.

High levels of concern for our ocean are driving a new wave of consumer activism, new research for the MSC reveals, as consumers increasingly, ‘vote with their forks,’ to safeguard our ocean. Conducted by independent research and strategy consultancy, GlobeScan, the MSC recently conducted the largest survey of its kind involving more than 20,000 people across 23 countries. The survey revealed 65% of Americans believe supermarkets should remove all unsustainable fish and seafood products from their shelves.

“More than ever, we see an increased passion from consumers and companies alike to take steps that protect the ocean, including choosing sustainable seafood,” said Brian Perkins, regional director for the Americas at the MSC. “The MSC has been on a mission to end overfishing for more than 20 years. In honor of World Oceans Day and National Oceans Month this year, we’re asking Americans to keep our ocean healthy for future generations by shopping sustainably when buying seafood and other products. The little choices we make have a big ripple effect.”

The ocean contains up to 80% of life on Earth.1 However, a third of fisheries around the world have been fished beyond sustainable limits, and a further 60% are fished to their maximum capacity.2 Because seafood provides an important source of protein to more than 3 billion people on our planet, it’s crucial to adopt habits that ensure the ocean and seafood will be around for generations to come.

Read the full release here