Saving Seafood

ALASKA: Alaska’s salmon fishery passes MSC audits, marking 25 years of certification

February 18, 2025 — The Alaskan salmon fishery has met all Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) standard requirements related to its hatcheries after a recent audit, allowing it to continue possessing its certification.

MRAG Americas, an independent assessment body, determined Alaska’s salmon fishery met the MSC’s hatchery management standards, which include comprehensive marking of hatchery-produced salmon to track the origin of fish to certain hatcheries. The tracking is designed to allow fishery managers to assess and regulate fishery contributions and interactions between hatchery salmon and wild salmon.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Alaska Salmon Fishery Closes Hatchery-Related Conditions on Marine Stewardship Council Certificate in Latest Audit

February 14, 2025 — The following was released by the Marine Stewardship Council:

The Alaska salmon fishery has successfully met all Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Standard requirements related to hatcheries, according to a recent audit by independent assessment body MRAG Americas. This achievement was possible through dedicated efforts by the Alaska Fishery Development Foundation, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s (ADF&G) Commercial Fisheries Division and Alaska Private Non-Profit Hatchery Corporations and reinforces Alaska’s commitment to environmentally sustainable fishing under MSC certification.

A Legacy of Sustainability
Alaska has a long history of demonstrated success in sustainable management of wild salmon runs as a constitutionally mandated priority. Alaska salmon fisheries have been MSC-certified for 25 years, making them one of the longest-running certificate holders. Through annual audits and five-year recertifications, these fisheries consistently meet MSC’s globally recognized standards for sustainable fish stocks, ecosystem protection, and effective management. In November 2024, the fishery was recertified, marking a quarter-century of engagement in the MSC program.
Advancements in Hatchery Research & Management
In collaboration with the ADF&G, Alaska fisheries have implemented comprehensive marking of hatchery production salmon in order to track the origin of fish to certain hatcheries and to assess and regulate fishery contributions and hatchery-wild interactions. The MSC audit confirmed that Alaska’s hatchery management practices and strategies align with wild salmon conservation policies, ensuring long-term sustainability.
Science-Driven Conservation
The State of Alaska Hatchery Research Project, led by ADF&G and a panel of state, federal, and academic scientists, played a key role in evaluating hatchery-wild salmon interactions. The latest MSC audit reaffirmed that wild salmon populations continue to thrive, maintaining the necessary genetic integrity to remain productive into the future.
Global Market Trust
MSC certification provides third-party verification of sustainability, ensuring continued access to key global markets that require rigorous environmental standards. This milestone highlights the cooperative efforts of Alaska’s salmon fisheries and ADF&G to uphold sustainable, science-based fisheries management.

Multiple labor activists send letter to MSC demanding action on labor abuse in seafood industry

February 12, 2025 — A group of labor activist organizations have sent an open letter to the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) pushing the seafood certifier to do more to combat forced labor incidents.

The letter was sent by the Seafood Working Group (SWG), a coalition of labor rights groups comprising Global Labor Justice, International Transport Workers’ Federation, Humanity United, Freedom Fund, and Greenpeace US. The letter said the MSC needs to do more to combat “rampant labor abuse” in the seafood industry, and criticized the MSC’s stance on the ecolabel not offering assurances that there is no forced or child labor within its fisheries.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

NGOs Warn That Sustainable Seafood Label May Hide High-Seas Labor Abuses

February 11, 2025 — The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) finds itself under fire again over its vetting standards, this time for allegedly overlooking the use of forced labor in overseas fisheries. A coalition of environmental and labor NGOs has called on MSC to acknowledge that its label may not be “fit for purpose” for evaluating labor standards in the complex, opaque seafood supply chain.

Labor exploitation is a fact of life in a segment of the global fishing fleet, and its ubiquity and ease of concealment out on the high seas make it a challenge to exclude from the supply chain. At least 128,000 fishermen are subjected to forced labor conditions worldwide, according to conservative estimates by the International Labor Organization, and the agency believes the real number is likely higher.

In an open letter, a coalition led by Global Labor Justice asserted that MSC’s certification program is not combating that challenge, and may be impeding efforts to fight labor abuses. The NGOs cited a 2024 study of MSC’s vetting program for the tuna industry, which found that about half of MSC’s tuna fishery certificates “appeared to lack any form of information on vessel ownership,” and that just four percent of MSC tuna certificate holders appeared to own any tuna vessels. The overwhelming majority of the certified companies were market intermediaries, without direct involvement in vessel operations, and MSC’s labor compliance check process relied largely on self-declaration.

Read the full article at The Maritime Executive

Global seafood collaboration updates sustainability data, human rights analysis tool

January 28, 2025 –Amid a seafood sustainability landscape that features several databases, regulations, and benchmarks to measure progress, it can be difficult for retailers, fishers, and other players up and down the seafood supply chain to find consistent data on sustainability and align their processes accordingly.

Aiming to alleviate that issue, the Certification and Ratings Collaboration – a collaboration between some of the world’s most prominent seafood certification programs, including the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC), Marine Stewardship Council, Fair Trade USA, and Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch Program – recently released an updated version of its data tool.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

MarinTrust, MSC sign agreement to strengthen collaboration in marine ingredient supply chain

December 16, 2024 — MarinTrust and the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in an attempt to streamline the certification processes between both organizations.

The agreement between MarinTrust, a London, U.K.-based certification program working to improve sourcing and traceability across global marine ingredient production, and the MSC is intended to improve how marine ingredient producers engage with one another, reducing duplicative tasks within both certification schemes and aligning standards across the sector.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Alaska salmon recertified to MSC standard after independent adjudicator rejects NGO concerns

November 18, 2024 — The salmon fishery in the U.S. state of Alaska has received recertification to the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Fisheries Standard after an independent adjudicator rejected objections from conservation groups.

MSC recently announced the Alaska salmon fishery’s fifth certification, marking 25 years the fishery has been engaged with the certification standard.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Alaska Salmon Marks a Quarter Century of Engagement with the Marine Stewardship Council, Fishery Achieves Fifth Certification Against Global Sustainable Fishing Standard

November 11, 2024 — The following released by the Marine Stewardship Council:

The Alaska salmon fishery today achieved its recertification against the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Fisheries Standard – the fishery’s fifth certification, marking 25 years of engagement with the MSC program. The Alaska salmon certificate is held by the Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation (AFDF).

The MSC certification process, which requires rigorous, science-based assessments and regular audits by a third-party assessor, ensures that certified fisheries meet stringent criteria for sustainable fishing practices. Principles of the MSC Fisheries Standard include maintaining healthy fish populations, preserving the marine ecosystem, and ensuring the fishery is properly managed and follows international treaties, federal laws, and state regulations. MSC fishery certificates are valid for five years.

As one of the original fisheries to join the MSC program, the Alaska salmon fishery is a pioneer of high standards for sustainable fishing and environmental stewardship. Alaska salmon was the third fishery in the world, and first US fishery, to achieve MSC certification in September 2000.

The MSC certified Alaska salmon fishery includes five species of Pacific salmon: Coho-silver salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch), Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), Sockeye-red salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka), Pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha), and Chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta). Seven gear types across 14 geographic areas are included in the MSC Alaska salmon fisheries certification.

Sustainable resource management is reflected in Alaska’s commitment to preserving the state’s natural resources. Alaska’s approach to fisheries management works to ensure that fishing practices remain sustainable and that vital resources, like wild salmon, continue to thrive in healthy ecosystems. Alaska salmon’s MSC certification provides third-party validation of the fishery’s sustainable practices, offering consumers a trusted and credible mark of assurance of Alaska’s commitment to sustainable fishing.

“The Alaska salmon fishery has been a true leader in the sustainable seafood movement with 25 years of engagement with the MSC,” said Nicole Condon, US program director at the Marine Stewardship Council.  “This milestone is a testament not only to their leadership but also to the tireless efforts of everyone involved in the fishery to protect our ocean and fishery resources. Congratulations on this landmark achievement!”

“Achieving our fifth MSC certification is more than just an accomplishment—it’s a testament to the Alaska salmon fishery’s legacy of sustainability and stewardship,” said Kristy Clement, CEO of the Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation. “For a quarter century, the Alaska salmon fishery has exemplified the MSC’s rigorous standard for sustainable fishing, rooted in practices that trace back to Alaska’s Indigenous traditions, where sustainability and stewardship are a way of life. This milestone reflects the dedication of our fishers, processors, and management partners who continue to uphold these essential practices, reaffirming Alaska’s commitment to responsible salmon fishing.”

“Alaska Salmon’s fifth certification deserves the highest recognition. 25 years in the MSC program is a powerful validation of long-term dedication to sustainable fishing,” said Dan Averill, Senior Fisheries Manager at the Marine Stewardship Council. “I commend the Alaska Department of Fish and Game for their statewide management of salmon, as well as all the fishermen and the processors who help to feed the world.”

With this recertification, the Alaska salmon fishery continues to uphold the highest standards in sustainable fishing, making MSC certified sustainable seafood available worldwide. Salmon is a popular culinary choice world-wide and consistently ranks as one of the most consumed seafood species globally.

The fishery’s MSC certificate is valid until 2028 but will undergo annual audits by a third-party assessor to ensure it continues to meet the MSC standard.

MSC launches improvement program to incentivize fisheries progress

November 5, 2024 — The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) has launched a new venture designed to incentivize fisheries improvement and prepare them for certification.

The MSC Improved Program will accelerate the improvement of fisheries that do not currently meet the conditions of the MSC Fisheries Standard. According to MSC, the program will offer support and incentives to fisheries in exchange for following an independently verified action plan and making measurable improvements over a five-year period.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

ALASKA: Adjudicator rejects conservationists’ concerns, recommends MSC recertification of Alaska salmon

October 31, 2024 — An independent adjudicator in Canada has recommended the Alaska salmon fishery be recertified as sustainable under the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Fishery Standard, rejecting objections raised by two conservation groups.

“This decision is disappointing and very misleading,” SkeenaWild Conservation Trust Fisheries Biologist Kaitlin Yehle said in a statement. “This is a fishery that does not adhere to internationally recognized best practices with respect to handling and release of bycatch species, basic catch monitoring and data collection, and is intercepting millions of south-migrating salmon from populations of conservation concern yet is marketed to consumers as ‘sustainable.’”

Read the full article at SeafoodSource