Saving Seafood

California Market Squid Fishery Begins MSC Assessment

November 23, 2022 — The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Fisheries Standard assessment process has begun for the California market squid fishery.

Over a month ago, SeafoodNews covered how squid purse seiners and processors in the state were looking to land MSC certification.

Del Mar Seafoods, Silver Bay Seafoods and Lund’s Fisheries, supplied by Sun Coast Calimari, have engaged with independent certification body SCS Global Services to complete the assessment of the fishery against the MSC Standard.

The aforementioned coalition explained that the California market squid fishery is the largest commercial squid fishery by tonnage in the U.S. with the squid serving as a popular option as calamari due to its flavor.

Progress on harvest strategies urgently needed to safeguard tuna stocks in the Western Central Pacific

November 21, 2022 — The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) is calling on member governments of the Western Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) to pass important conservation management measures for tuna stocks at the 19th Regular Session of the Commission, taking place in Da Nang, Vietnam from 27 November to 03 December.

These measures will safeguard the long-term sustainability of the world’s most important tuna stocks by committing fishing nations to pre-agreed actions to safeguard tuna stocks should they ever decline below sustainable levels.

Progress on agreeing harvest strategies is increasingly critical to the ongoing certification of these fisheries to the MSC’s global standard for sustainable fishing. A lack of progress in delivering workplans for the implementation of harvest strategies is eroding the rationale for tuna fisheries in the Western Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO) meeting minimum requirements of MSC certification for available harvest control rules (HCRs).

To ensure ongoing MSC certification, WCPFC delegates must reach agreement on two key conservation management measures, which would result in the implementation of a harvest strategy for skipjack tuna and demonstrate progress towards delivering harvest strategies for other tuna stocks within the region. The outcomes of the meeting will be considered collectively by the Conformity Assessment Bodies (CABs) responsible the certification of all 33 MSC certified tuna fisheries in the WCPO to determine whether they provide the evidence needed to support ongoing certification.

Rupert Howes, Chief Executive of the MSC said: “Failure by the WCPFC to implement harvest strategies would jeopardise the long-term health of these stocks and undermine the progress made by WCPO fisheries, which have worked hard to improve their sustainability and meet the MSC’s global standard for environmentally responsible and sustainable fishing.

“These fisheries, which include skipjack, yellowfin, albacore and bigeye tuna in the Western Central Pacific represent the majority of this economically vital catch. The call for harvest strategies is being reiterated by leading retailers, tuna brands, the fishing industry and NGOs worldwide. Effective fisheries management, including harvest strategies, forms a cornerstone of the United Nation’s code of conduct for sustainable fishing and is central to delivering the globally agreed Sustainable Development Goal 14 to safeguard life below water. As a result, we hope to see a strong endorsement for the conservation measures tabled for negotiation at next week’s meeting.”

In addition to continuing to meet minimum requirements, all tuna fisheries in the WCPFC have timebound conditions to implement stronger harvest strategies with well-defined HCRs by June 2023 to remain certified to version 2 of the MSC Fisheries Standard. An agreement to adopt harvest strategies for skipjack at the upcoming meeting could close this condition for MSC certified skipjack fisheries. For certified fisheries targeting other tuna species, convincing progress towards agreeing HCRs could provide the opportunity to remain certified beyond June 2023 by adopting requirements within the new MSC Fisheries Standard. These new requirements allow an additional five years for fisheries to implement state-of-the-art harvest strategies, while adopting the other significant improvements included in the new Standard.

MSC representatives will be observing the WCPFC meeting.

Further information on the challenge facing MSC certified tuna fisheries in the WCPO is available on msc.org.

Maine lobster fishery MSC certification to be suspended for a second time

November 16, 2022 — The Marine Stewardship Council announced on 16 November, 2022, the Maine lobster fishery will have its MSC certification suspended for a second time.

The suspension, effective 15 December, 2022, stems from the same reasoning behind the first suspension in August 2020 – a suspension that was lifted in October 2021. A court ruling in July 2022 by U.S. District Judge James Boasberg determined the fishery is no longer in legal compliance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

MSC’s newest standard sets sustainability bar higher for tuna fisheries

October 22, 2022 — The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) has published version 3.0 of its fisheries standard, meaning fisheries entering MSC assessment for the first time have until May 2023 to adhere to the new standard, while certified fisheries have six years to come into compliance.

MSC’s standard review and uupdate, considered the most-comprehensive ever done by the organization, began in 2018 and has important implications for tuna fisheries.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

HAWAII: Hawaii Longline Association certified for sustainable fishing

September 14, 2022 — The Hawaii Longline Association has achieved a globally recognized certification for sustainable fishing by the Marine Stewardship Council.

The MSC Fisheries Standard, which the council says is the world’s most recognized benchmark for sustainability, follows a 16-month certification process that assesses if a fishery is well-managed, with three core principles it has to meet: sustainable fish stocks, minimizing environmental impact and effective fisheries management.

Read the full article at Star Advertiser 

MSC appoints new director to lead US program

July 28, 2022 — The following was released by The Marine Stewardship Council

The Marine Stewardship Council today announced the appointment of Nicole Condon as Program Director to lead the US strategy and position MSC as a leader in the sustainable seafood movement. Condon will step into this role effective August 1.

 
As US Program Director, Condon will oversee the fisheries, commercial, marketing and communications strategies to develop opportunities for growth in the US market, from certified fisheries to MSC labelled products. She brings with her a combined experience of almost 20 years in marine science, non-profit program management, and seafood sustainability. Condon joined the MSC in 2018 as a Senior Commercial Manager, overseeing engagement with MSC certified companies and market development along the supply chain in the Eastern US. She joined the MSC from World Wildlife Fund’s Global Seafood Markets team where she developed sustainable seafood strategies with global companies and built collaborative industry platforms in key markets around the world to create positive impacts for seafood, people, and nature.
 
Condon takes over from Eric Critchlow who served in this role for the past six years. Eric is retiring following a 48-year career in the seafood industry covering everything from the dock to Executive positions. Under Eric’s leadership, the MSC has seen consistent engagement with US fisheries and growth in commercial partner commitments to sourcing MSC certified sustainable seafood. 
 
Erika Feller, Americas regional director, said: “Bringing Nicole on as US Program Director is the right move for the MSC because of her extensive knowledge and experience building strong partnerships with the seafood industry, and her ability to see the big picture when it comes to sustainability and healthy oceans. I am thrilled to be welcoming Nicole into this new role and to seeing continued growth of MSC certified sustainable seafood in the US. We are so grateful to Eric for all his contributions to the MSC over the last six years and send our absolute best wishes to him on his retirement.”
 
“We’ve seen tremendous growth in the demand for more sustainable seafood options in the US market over the past few years,” said Condon. “I’m excited to work with our current and future partners to continue this momentum and elevate the MSC even further as a leader on sustainable seafood – ultimately driving measurable and impactful improvements in our global fisheries and supply chains.”
 
The change in leadership comes at a time when approximately 35% of global fish stocks are overfished, as published in the recent 2022 UN FAO State of the World’s Fisheries and Aquaculture report. This prompted the UN FAO to call for a “Blue Transformation,” expanding the contribution of fish, seafood and seaweed to global food security and nutrition. Effective ecosystem-based fisheries management, ending overfishing, is one of three core pillars for delivering this transformation. The report recognizes the role of certification schemes such as that overseen by the MSC in contributing to this effort. MSC recently announced an ambitious commitment to work towards one third of global wild marine catch certified or engaged in its sustainable fishing program by 2030.
 
Seafood consumers are also concerned. A 2022 GlobeScan survey showed 82% of US respondents expressing concern about the state of the ocean[1]. But more seafood consumers than ever believe their choices can make a difference to the health of the ocean; the 2022 survey showed an increase (4%) from two years ago. Nearly two-thirds (62%) of U.S. consumers surveyed believe that people should eat seafood from sustainable sources, up from 55% compared with 2 years ago and a 7% increase from the last time the survey was run in early 2020.
 
These challenges present opportunities for MSC to continue to be a powerful force for change as a market driven program. Continued work with scientists, fisheries managers, regional management bodies, NGOs, and the private sector is critical to see lasting change toward a blue transformation.

New MSC US Program Director Nicole Condon: US must lead on seafood sustainability

July 28, 2022 — On Thursday, 28 June, Nicole Condon was named Marine Stewardship Council’s U.S. program director, replacing Eric Critchlow, who is retiring after a 48-year career in the seafood industry. Condon, who will begin in her new role 1 August, will oversee MSC’s fisheries, commercial, marketing, and communications strategies in the United States.

Condon joined MSC in 2018 as a senior commercial manager, overseeing engagement with MSC-certified companies and market development along the supply chain in the Eastern U.S. Condon will aim to advance MSC’s goal of having one third of global wild marine catch certified to its standard or engaged in its sustainable fishing program by 2030. Previously, she served on World Wildlife Fund’s Global Seafood Markets team, where she developed sustainable seafood strategies with global companies and built collaborative industry platforms in key global markets.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Whale activists file objection to Gulf of Maine lobster fishery certification

July 1, 2022 — Conservation groups formally objected to a recent recommendation by MRAG Americas that the Gulf of Maine lobster fishery be recertified to the Marine Stewardship Council standard.

The Gulf of Maine lobster fishery, which covers U.S. landings of the North American lobster was first certified to the MSC standard in 2016, and its current certificate expires on June 30. MRAG Americas has recommended that the certification continue, but groups including Animal Welfare Institute, Defenders of Wildlife, and the Natural Resources Defense Council claim the fishery no longer meets the standards due to complications related to the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale.

“If the Gulf of Maine lobster fishery was certified as sustainable at this time, consumers of MSC-certified lobster could be unknowingly hastening the demise of one of our most emblematic and endangered species,” said Francine Kershaw, senior scientist with NRDC, in a prepared statement. “There could not be a more blatant way to further erode consumer confidence in MSC as a certifying body.”

At the heart of the issue is the reoccurring fight over the lobster industry’s impact on right whales – something the MSC has been involved with once before. In August 2020, the MSC suspended the certification of the Gulf of Maine lobster fishery after a federal court found it was in violation of the Endangered Species Act.

The suspension has since been lifted, and the lobster industry is also under new standards implemented by NOAA Fisheries to comply with Endangered Species Act. Despite the new rules, the NGOs claim that the fishery is still relying on insufficient protection measures and that it is still posing a threat to right whales.

Read the full story at National Fisherman

MSC aims for balance between rigor, accessibility with new standard

June 30, 2022 — The Marine Stewardship Council’s newest fisheries standard has been released – and according to MSC Fisheries Standard Director Ernesto Jardim, the new edition has continued the organization’s commitment to driving fishery sustainability.

The new standards were unanimously approved by MSC’s board of trustees on 24 June, 2022. The organization hailed the new standard as a “major achievement” after the four-year review process received the input of over 1,000 stakeholders in the industry.

Read the full story at SeafoodSource