Saving Seafood

Canada’s first redfish fishery achieves MSC certification as sustainable

May 23, 2017 — The following was released by the Marine Stewardship Council:

The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and the Groundfish Enterprise Allocation Council (GEAC) are proud to announce Canada’s first redfish fishery to meet the globally recognized MSC Fishery Standard.  With this achievement, Acadian redfish (Sebastes fasciatus), also known as Atlantic redfish or ocean perch, caught in Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) Division 3LN, can now be sold as MSC certified by companies with MSC Chain of Custody certificates.

International collaboration toward successful rebuilding

Straddling Canadian and international waters, 3LN redfish has a colourful history dotted by interaction with Soviet, Cuban, South Korean, Portuguese and Spanish fleets. Overfishing in the late 1980s caused depletion that led to a moratorium being declared on directed fishing in 1998. After years of careful management, the stock recovered and the fishery was re-opened in 2010.

Managed by the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO), a cautious Total Allowable Catch (TAC) is established through a well tested harvest control rule that has been peer-reviewed by scientists from NAFO-member countries.  This management approach has proven effective at continuing stock growth and is expected to continue to guide this fishery through long-term sustainability.

Canada holds 42.6% share of the TAC, the majority of which is caught by Ocean Choice International vessels fishing on the Grand Banks of Newfoundland.

“This certificate is a demonstration of the rigour applied to the management of the Canadian redfish fishery in 3LN.”says Bruce Chapman, President of GEAC, the industry association representing the fishery client group. “We continue to work towards all of our fisheries being able to bear the MSC label.” 

Meeting the world’s most recognized standard for sustainability

Redfish are long-lived species with unique reproductive characteristics that demand strong management measures to ensure protection of the stocks. To achieve MSC certification, the 3LN redfish fishery demonstrated it meets all three MSC Principles through a healthy target stock, very low by-catch and high unlikelihood of disrupting ecosystem structure and function, and effective management.

Beyond TAC and individual country quotas, other conservation measures for redfish include gear specifications, restrictions on areas and times of fishing and protection of sensitive areas.

Jay Lugar, Program Director for MSC in Canada added: “The combined efforts of all actors to follow globally accepted best fishery management practices for 3LN redfish is a clear signal to world markets of a long-term commitment to maintaining the stock at sustainable levels. It is also proof that fish stocks can recover and robust fisheries management works. The MSC is proud be a vehicle that the Canadian fishing industry employs to demonstrate this.”

The rigorous 24-month assessment against the MSC standard was undertaken by independent certifier SAI Global Services.

ISSF Annual Report Focuses on Tuna Fishing Best Practices and Participating Company Conformance with Science-based Conservation Measures

May 23, 2017 — The following was released by the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation:

The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) released its 2016 annual report today, Best Practices, Better Solutions, which outlines tuna sustainability achievements and argues for continuous improvement of global tuna fisheries through collaboration and advocacy.

“ISSF marked its seventh anniversary in 2016, and I’m proud to have been part of this unique organization from the beginning,” said ISSF President Susan Jackson in her opening letter. “Through our many activities and partnerships over the years — made possible by progressive tuna companies and other funders — we have deepened our understanding about what it takes to ‘be’ sustainable, and to advance the cause.”

Best Practices, Better Solutions focuses on ISSF’s collaborations on “best practices” in tuna and ocean conservation sustainability with fishers, tuna companies, retailers, regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs), and other governing bodies, working closely with nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), scientific agencies, and charitable foundations.

Report Highlights

The report offers these special features:

  • Spotlights on fish aggregating device (FAD) management, electronic monitoring and reporting, and harvest control rules — including timelines that track best-practice milestones 2009-2016 as well as graphics showing RFMO proposal activity
  • Graphics documenting skipper acceptance of best practices, including bycatch mitigation techniques
  • Charts showing tuna stock status based on catch and abundance
  • Table with Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) performance indicator averages for global tuna fisheries
  • Summary of ISSF advocacy efforts, including joint letters, blogs, and RFMO side events
  • Graphic showing how RFMO proposals track with ISSF advocacy priorities
  • Reflections from outgoing ISSF Board chair Juan Corrales

It also covers these notable ISSF achievements:

  • Five new tuna companies joined as participating companies in 2016.
  • ISSF Skippers Workshops were held in China and Vietnam for the first time; a record 343 vessel crew were trained in 2016 workshops.
  • In North America, Europe, and Africa 32 retailers that purchase tuna have incorporated ISSF guidelines in their procurement policies.

Conservation Measures & Commitments Compliance Report

ISSF’s annual report also serves as the platform to share the organization’s annual Conservation Measures and Commitments Compliance Report. The report shows a conformance rate of 97.5 percent by 28 ISSF participating companies as of March 31, 2017 — up from 95.6 percent in November 2016 — across 21 ISSF conservation measures in effect in 2016. Twenty-two of 28 companies were fully compliant across all measures.  

The report tracks ISSF participating companies’ progress in conforming with measures like these:

As part of its commitment to transparency and accountability, ISSF engages third-party auditor MRAG Americas to audit ISSF participating companies — assessing their compliance with ISSF’s conservation measures. MRAG Americas conducts independent auditing based on a rigorous audit protocol.

In addition to a summary report, MRAG Americas issues individual company reports that document in detail each organization’s compliance with ISSF’s conservation measures. ISSF publishes these individual company compliance reports on its website.

ISSF Participating Companies account for about 75% of the global canned tuna market.

NE Fisheries Scientists Expect Drastic Changes as Gulf of Maine and Georges warm 7 to 9 degrees

May 19, 2017 — SEAFOOD NEWS — A new paper by a number of scientists formerly with NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center suggests that there will be drastic changes in fisheries and the ports that depend on them during the next 60 to 80 years. Among the predictions for specific species, lobster and dogfish are likely to thrive. Also mid-Atlantic Fish like croaker and striped bass will find more suitable habitat in New England. The “changes will result in ecological, economic, social, and natural resource management challenges throughout the region,” said Kristin Kleisner, the lead author of the study. “It is important to understand large-scale patterns in these changes so that we can plan for and mitigate adverse effects as much as possible.”

The USDA said domestic catfish processors operate similarly to meat and poultry processing-only operations and can be subject to inspections just once per production shift. When the USDA adopted catfish inspections last March, inspectors practiced continuous inspection procedures so the agency could understand the fish slaughtering and production process. But the USDA said it is adopting the FDA’s definition of fish processing, which combines the slaughter and processing steps. This will exempt domestic catfish operators from continuous inspections once the program takes full effect this September.

In other news, Russia plans to significantly increase exports of cod and pollock to the Latin American market in coming years. Russia’s Federal Fishery Agency said demand for white fish in the domestic market is relatively low. Meanwhile, demand for white fish is up significantly in such countries as Brazil, Argentina and other Latin America states. To date, there are already several agreements to supply Russian cod and pollock to Brazil.

The season’s first catch of Copper River salmon will arrive in Seattle straight from Alaska this Friday. As per tradition, the Alaska Airlines Boeing “salmon 30 salmon” will deliver the fish to the Sea-Tac Airport. The seasoned opened this morning.

Finally, The Ecology Action Centre (EAC) said the suspension of the offshore Marine Stewardship Council certificate for the Newfoundland cod fishery in the 3Ps region confirmed its initial concern and objection to the designation. The EAC was among a group that objected to the 3Ps certification last year. “While we fully support efforts to both achieve and celebrate improvements in sustainable fisheries, we had deep concerns about this cod stock throughout the certification process. Suffice it to say we are not at all surprised that the issues we raised last year, including low bar for recovery, evidence of poor stock health and a high rate of mortality,” said Susanna Fuller, Senior Marine Conservation Coordinator at the Ecology Action Centre.

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

Lidl commits to full sustainability for fresh and frozen seafood in the US

May 18, 2017 — Lidl supermarket locations within the United States will sell only certified sustainable fresh and frozen seafood as part of its daily fish counter assortments,  the company announced on 17 May.

The decision is supported by a partnership recently established between Lidl US, the Marine Stewardship Council, the Global Aquaculture Alliance’s Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) program and the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC).

“We are pleased to announce that our entire everyday fresh and frozen seafood assortment will be certified sustainable,” Lidl US Chief Commercial Officer Boudewijn Tiktak said. “We are proud to work closely with the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) and the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) in this step to ensure suppliers meet our high-quality standards. As a company, we are always working to make better and more sustainable choices attainable to all customers and this is an important part of that promise.”

“Lidl’s commitment to certified sustainable sourcing for all fresh and frozen seafood in its core assortment will indeed set a new standard in the U.S. market,” added Brian Perkins, MSC’s regional director for the Americas. “When people purchase MSC-certified seafood, their choice supports fishermen around the world who are working hard to meet the world’s most rigorous standard for environmental sustainability of wild capture fishing.”

Chris Keller, BAP’s Director of North American Market Development, noted the broad scope that such a commitment encompasses.

“This is a tremendous step by Lidl to ensure that its entire core assortment of fresh and frozen seafood is third party certified,” Keller said. “This important commitment helps address issues such as disease, antibiotic use and social welfare in the supply chain. Lidl clearly sees how this is the next frontier in responsible and sustainable sourcing. We applaud the vision and commitment of Lidle as they join with BAP to drive true change in the market place and the industry.”

Read the full story at SeafoodSource.com

Brasil’s Swift Launches Latin America’s First Certified Sustainable Seafood Product Line

May 4, 2017 — SAO PAULO, Brazil — The following was released by the Aquaculture Stewardship Council and the Marine Stewardship Council:

JBS, through 54 Swift shops in the Sao Paulo region of Brasil, have launched the first Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) and Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified retail seafood product line in Latin America.

The initial product line includes a variety of ASC certified salmon products from Chile as well as tilapia from Brasil.

Further ASC certified products are planned, including trout and bivalves. Shrimp, either from Brasil or from Ecuador, is a priority.

The ASC is also planning to introduce Brazilian native species standards next year that will make it possible to have certified tambaqui, pirarucu, pintado and pacu available.

For the MSC, Alaskan pollock and chum salmon are part of the launch. Alaskan Pacific cod will soon be added and Atlantic cod products are at planning stage.

Paulo Christofani, the project Manager at JBS, said “we are extremely proud to be the first retailer in Latin America to launch an ASC/MSC product line. Sustainability is a priority for JBS and we aim to engage with our customers with marketing materials to inform and promote this initiative”.

Laurent Viguie, Latin American Manager for the ASC: “JBS/Swift have showed real initiative to launch this product range in Brasil. They are being very pro-active in encouraging their suppliers to achieve ASC certification. We hope that this will encourage more retailers in the region to follow their example”.

Brian Perkins, America Regional Director for the MSC said: “When people purchase MSC certified seafood, their choice supports fishermen around the world who are working hard to meet the world’s most rigorous standard for environmental sustainability of wild-capture fishing.”

Russia pushes MSC recertification for pollock from Sea of Okhotsk

May 4, 2017 — Russia’s Federal Agency for Fisheries announced at the 2017 Seafood Expo Global that it would seek Marine Stewardship Council recertification for pollock from the Sea of Okhotsk, according to the agency.

The Alaska trawl fishery in the Sea of Okhotsk was first certified by MSC in 2013 and Russia is seeking a recertification that would extend MSC approval of the fishery by the standard five years.

Russian Deputy Minister of Agriculture of Russia and Head of the Federal Agency for Fisheries Ilya Shestakov said the government “supported and encouraged” recertification for the fishery.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

IKEA’s best kept secret? Its affordable, sustainable salmon.

May 2, 2017 — Salty, silky and rich, salmon is truly a versatile protein. Smoked salmon shines when placed upon a bagel with schmear or stirred into an omelet. Grilling, poaching or broiling salmon results in a delectable entree. Ah, this fish.

But eating sustainable salmon can burn a hole in your wallet. Responsibly farmed salmon or wild caught salmon often come with a hefty price tag — salmon at Whole Foods, for example, can cost up to $25 a pound.

The good news: One national chain is a low-key secret, affordable salmon purveyor. IKEA, that Swedish furniture factory and veritable maze of a store, sells salmon that’s sustainable both for the planet and your bank account. . Three different smoked salmon packs are priced at $8 for a pack of 7 ounces, meaning they’re all under $16 a pound.

Beyond its Malm dressers, you may know IKEA for its Swedish meatballs, but the furniture store made headlines in 2015 for becoming one of the largest sellers of sustainable seafood. IKEA, which sells fish in 47 countries, only sources seafood that is certified by the Marine Stewardship Council and the Aquaculture Stewardship Council.

Read the full story at Mic.com

ASC, MSC predict bright future for seafood certification programs

May 1, 2017 — The Seafood Futures Forum, hosted by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) at the 2017 Seafood Expo Global last week, proved to be a powerful forum for a discussion on how to safeguard seafood for future generations.

Hosted by MSC CEO Rupert Howes ASC CEO Chris Ninnes, the event included a panel forum featuring Mars Petcare, Sanford, Simplot and Aqua Spark. Panelists discussed how producing and sourcing certified seafood was beneficial to their businesses, and why collaboration is essential if the seafood industry wants to provide increasingly sustainable seafood.

The participating panellists also outlined their own commitments to sustainability – Mars Petcare has committed to using only fish from sustainable sources for its pet food by 2020, while 97 percent of Simplot’s John West Australia tuna products contain MSC-certified tuna, representing 43 percent of all canned tuna in Australia, and the company has just launched the first ever MSC-certified canned tuna in New Zealand.

Judith Kontny, international corporate social responsibility manager at Lidl, set the scene with her keynote speech, explaining the retailer’s strategy on responsible and sustainable seafood. Lidl was one of the first large retailers to build sustainability into its procurement process and continues to seek ways to improve its performance, she said.

In Germany for example, from January 2017, Lidl has only sold MSC certified products in its permanent, own-brand, fresh- and frozen-fish range, and from January 2018, will only sell farmed seafood products certified by either ASC or certified organic.

However, Kontny said this still leaves challenges in meeting consumer demand. She urged MSC and ASC to actively encourage certification of a greater range of species.

“We are eager to sell more certified species, notably octopus and squid,” she said.

Kontny also called on the ASC and MSC to engage more with consumers in Eastern and Southern Europe to help them understand the need for responsible and sustainable seafood.

“We noted considerable success in Portugal using a flyer campaign and in-store tastings and talks,” she said. “This was a new area for us, but consumers reacted favorably and left with a greater understanding of the need to choose sustainable seafood.”

Read the full story at SeafoodSource.com

MSC marks 20th anniversary with release of 2020 strategy

April 27, 2017 — The following was released by the Marine Stewardship Council:

Today, as the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) marks 20 years since its creation, the organisation set out its strategy for the years ahead. The plan includes the MSC’s aspiration for a more than a third of global marine catch to be certified or engaged in the MSC program by 2030. The MSC’s ambition is to strengthen engagement and impact in the Global South, Large Marine Ecosystems (LMEs), priority markets and species, and with consumers, while continuing to deliver value to MSC certified fisheries.

The release of the MSC’s strategic framework is accompanied by a historical narrative, outlining the organisation’s journey to date. Written by independent journalists from the Press Association, Sustainable seafood: the first 20 years gives a compelling account of the MSC’s origin, challenges and milestones to date.

“20 years ago, the MSC was a bold new idea developed by WWF and Unilever to address the challenge of unsustainable fishing,” says Rupert Howes, MSC’s Chief Executive.“They wanted to create a market based mechanism that would connect seafood producers and consumers through a credible third party certification and labelling program. This program would recognise and reward existing good practice, but critically, incentivise and drive real and lasting change where needed to ensure healthy oceans and seafood supplies for the future. 20 years on this bold innovation has become a proven concept, and a global sustainable seafood movement has emerged to work with all stakeholders to drive this transformation.’’

Read the full release at the Marine Stewardship Council

Love Canned Tuna? More Grocers Want To Make Sure It Was Caught Responsibly

March 24, 2017 — For the last 20 years, Americans have been having a conversation about sustainable seafood that was largely focused on fish purchased at restaurants or fresh seafood counters. Armed with seafood guides, thoughtful customers were encouraged to pose questions about where their fish was caught and what type of gear was used — questions that are far trickier to pose in front of a wall of canned tuna in the middle of a supermarket.

While tuna poke may be winning over American palates today, our consumption of fresh tuna is still dwarfed by our collective appetite for the canned stuff. According to the National Fisheries Institute, Americans ate more than 700 million pounds of canned tuna in 2015. That’s 2.2 pounds per person, enough to keep it firmly among the top three seafood items Americans consume, a ranking held for more than a decade.

Unlike the sustainability conversations we tend to have over farmed vs. wild salmon — or on issues like bycatch, mangrove destruction or human slavery that swirl around shrimp — the hand-wringing over canned tuna has largely been focused on contaminants like mercury, rather than fishing methods or the health of fish stocks.

A handful of retailers are about to change that.

Last Wednesday Whole Foods Market announced that by January 2018, all canned tuna sold in its stores or used in its prepared foods departments will be sourced from fisheries that use only pole-and-line, troll or handline catch methods that eliminate bycatch (accidental harvest of other fish, birds or mammals) because fishermen are catching tuna one at a time.

The new Whole Foods’ policy also requires canned tuna products to come from fisheries that are certified by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) or are sourced from fisheries rated green (best choice) or yellow (good alternative) by the Monterey Bay Aquarium and The Safina Center. And Whole Foods has included a traceability requirement as well.

Read the full story from NPR