November 6, 2024 — U.S. food supplier Conagra has agreed to settle a class action lawsuit which alleged the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification label on its Mrs. Paul’s and Van de Kamp’s frozen seafood products is deceptive.
In a status hearing in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on 5 November, the two parties – Conagra and plaintiffs John Bohen and Abdallah Nasser – “report they have settled but need more time to finalize settlement,” a court document said.
April 20, 2024 — Tensions in the Middle East continue to rise, leaving the global shipping sector in a state of uncertainty.
On 13 April, Iran seized control of a Portuguese-flagged container vessel, the MSC Aries, for “violating maritime laws,” according to a statement from Iran’s Foreign Ministry. The ship is partially owned by Israeli businessman Eyal Ofer, Reuters reported.
August 16, 2023 — The following was released by Lund’s Fisheries, Del Mar Seafoods, and Silver Bay Seafoods:
In a significant stride towards ocean conservation, the California market squid fishery has emerged as the latest to gain certification for sustainability under the rigorous standards set by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). The extensive evaluation was meticulously conducted by the distinguished independent third-party auditor, SCS Global Services, acting on behalf of industry leaders Lund’s Fisheries, Del Mar Seafoods, and Silver Bay Seafoods.
MSC certification, renowned for its exacting international sustainability benchmarks, represents a pivotal benchmark for responsible seafood sourcing. The certification underscores the fishery’s fulfillment of stringent criteria, including robust stock health, effective fisheries management policies, and minimal environmental impact, as stipulated by MSC guidelines.
“Over the course of 15 months, SCS Global Services assessed of the California market squid fishery, evaluating its fishing practices, environmental impact, and management system against the best practices set forth by the Marine Stewardship Council,” said Jason Swecker, SCS’ Managing Director of Seafood. “This MSC certification not only acknowledges the fishery’s achievement but also highlights the industry’s collective strides towards sustainability.”
SCS Global Services’ final report lauds the fishery’s strengths, highlighting “documented adaptable management strategies, regular management reviews,” alongside “rigorous dockside sampling, minimal bycatch, and the implementation of innovative ecosystem-based management strategies.”
Wayne Reichle, President of Lund’s Fisheries, underscored the significance of collaborative efforts, emphasizing, “Aligning with two esteemed California squid producers, alongside SCS and MSC, reaffirms our commitment to the enduring viability of the California market squid fishery. As pioneers in sustainable seafood, our legacy spans three generations, a testament to the dedication of our fishermen, plant employees, and valued customers. The MSC certification distinguishes us as the sole U.S. seafood producer engaged in harvesting, processing, and distributing all three MSC-certified domestic squid species.”
Carter Goetz, In-House Counsel for Del Mar Seafood, echoed the sentiment, stating, “At the core of our family-operated enterprise, spanning three generations, lies an unwavering devotion to sustainability and the preservation of our oceans. The MSC certification for the California market squid fishery epitomizes our continuous mission to foster a thriving future for both our enterprise and the marine ecosystem.”
Cora Campbell, President and CEO of Silver Bay Seafoods, said, “Silver Bay Seafoods participates in many MSC certified fisheries in Alaska. Expanding our relationship to encompass the California market squid fishery is a natural next step to offering our customers across the globe access to a full suite of certified products.”
With a century-old legacy, the California market squid fishery casts its footprint across both Northern and Southern California, notably in the vibrant locales of Monterey Bay and Ventura County. As the sole purse seine fishery specializing in squid in the nation, it stands as a beacon of responsible practices, exemplifying steadfast efforts to minimize bycatch and enhance industry-wide environmental stewardship. The global demand for market squid, particularly in Europe and Asia, amplifies its significance, further fueled by a burgeoning appetite for sustainably sourced squid domestically.
May 1, 2023 — The American Shrimp Processors Association (ASPA) announced on 28 April it will pursue Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and Certified Seafood Collaborative (CSC) Responsible Fisheries Management certification of the U.S. Gulf of Mexico fishery.
ASPA has contracted with certification body Global Trust Certification to conduct sustainability assessments of the entire Gulf of Mexico shrimp fishery for both eco-labels.
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.
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.
June 28, 2022 — Conservation groups have 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 (Homarus americanus) was first certified to the MSC standard in 2016, and its current certificate expires on 30 June, 2022. 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.
Read the full story at SeafoodSource
June 24, 2022 — After four years of input from over 1,000 stakeholders, the Marine Stewardship Council’s fisheries standard review process has finally concluded.
The MSC announced on 24 June its board of trustees unanimously approved the new version of the fisheries standard, which it has hailed as a “major achievement.” The new standard includes a new approach to how the MSC will manage its endangered, threatened, or protected (ETP) species, standards on shark-finning, new standards on how fisheries manage unwanted catch, and more.
Read the full story at SeafoodSource
June 20, 2022 — A cadre of international NGOs focused on environmental conservation have written a letter to the Marine Stewardship Council claiming its proposed new standards – the product of MSC’s fisheries standard review begun in 2018 – would “tarnish” its reputation.
The letter was sent by the WWF, The Pew Charitable Trusts, Birdlife Marine Programme, The Nature Conservancy, Ecology Action Centre, Earthworm Foundation, IPNLF, and the Sharkproject. According to the NGOs, the latest fisheries standard proposed by the MSC has “significant weaknesses.”
Read the full story at SeafoodSource
June 13, 2022 — The following was released by the Marine Stewardship Council:
New figures released today suggest that US consumers are increasingly supporting the health of the ocean when deciding which fish and krill oil supplements to buy, according to new data shared by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), the international non-profit responsible for the world’s most widely used sustainable seafood ecolabel.
Figures highlighted by the MSC show that the number of fish oil supplements carrying the MSC blue fish label has grown by 44% in the US during the last five years, from 132 to 191. In the last year alone, consumers bought more than 8.5 million bottles and packets of MSC-certified fish oil supplements in the US. For products to carry the MSC blue fish label, every company in the supply chain must have a valid MSC Chain of Custody certificate and each product must be reviewed and approved
According to GOED, the Global Organization of EPA and DHA Omega-3s, a trade group that includes companies all along the supplement channel, from fisheries to finished products, the 2021 US EPA and DHA omega-3 supplement market reached $1.35 billion in value. GOED also projects the US omega-3 supplement market to grow by 3.8% by 2023[1]. Many EPA and DHA omega-3 fisheries are MSC-certified, are pursuing MSC certification, or are covered by specialized national or regional monitoring bodies.
Krill continues to be the most popular species used in MSC-certified sustainable omega 3 supplements, such as Epion Brands’ Kori Pure Antarctic Krill Oil offering MSC certified krill oil supplements. Other newly launched supplements are helping to diversify the range of sustainable products on the market. Examples include Natural Force Pure Omega-3 liquid, which sources its fish oil from the MSC-certified Menhaden fishery[2], and Garden of Life’s Dr Formulated Prenatal Multi and DHA, the first MSC-certified supplement for pregnant women. Pet owners can also opt for MSC-certified fish oils for pets, including Dr Mercola’s Krill oil for cats and dogs, Mud Bay Salmon and Pollock Oil and Vital Pet Life Salmon oil.
Fish oil can be obtained from two sources: 1) small pelagics — small fish such as herring, sardine, and menhaden[3] — can be processed into fish oil, and 2) trimmings or by-products of a species caught for human consumption, such as the liver, heads, and fins of pollock, cod or salmon. The latter process helps reduce waste by ensuring the whole fish is used.
Trimmings from MSC-certified salmon fisheries in Alaska, for instance, are used to produce Steward Supplements and Vital Choice salmon fish oils. While the skin of MSC-certified North Atlantic cod is used to make Dr Mercola’s Marine Collagen pills.
The demand for fish oils, set to grow by 6% by 2026, will increase pressure on fish stocks, especially small pelagic fish stocks, 46% of which are already currently overfished[4]. Ensuring these stocks are managed sustainably is imperative. The growth in the number of consumers choosing fish oil produced from sustainable fisheries[5] is helping to turn the tide, in-part, by driving a rapid growth in the number of MSC-certified small pelagic and reduction fisheries[6]. In 2022, landings from small pelagic species engaged in the MSC program totalled over 4.2 million tons, representing around 15% of small pelagic landings worldwide, up from 8% of small pelagic landings in 2016.
“Small pelagic fisheries, those that are often used to produce fish oils, play a critical role in the marine ecosystem,” said Erika Feller, regional director, Americas at the Marine Stewardship Council. “Small pelagic species, such as krill, sardine and menhaden are at the base of marine food chains because they are also food for many other marine species. Overfishing these species could have a significant negative impact on delicate marine ecosystems, which is why it’s so important for consumers to choose sustainable fish oil products produced from MSC-certified fisheries. MSC certified fisheries take an extremely cautious approach in setting catch limits for low trophic species — or species low in the marine food chain that play a key role in the ecosystem such as small pelagics — harvesting fish at a more conservative rate compared to other species. This ensures stocks remain abundant and helps to protect seafood supplies and the ocean ecosystem.”
Chris Gearheart, director of growth and engagement at GOED, said “GOED is proud of our member companies’ commitment to the sustainable use of marine resources and public health. MSC certification is an excellent path for companies who source omega-3s from the ocean and want to improve fisheries management.”
The increasing demand for fish oil for human consumption has had a dramatic impact on the growth of MSC-certified fish oil products globally. In 2008, only four MSC-labelled fish oil supplements were available worldwide. This has grown to more than 500 MSC labelled products in 2021. Globally more than 20.5 million bottles or packets of MSC-certified sustainably sourced fish oils were bought by consumers — up by 75% or nearly 12 million bottles and packets just three years ago.
“We can all can contribute to a healthier planet by buying fish oil products with the MSC blue fish label, and now is an important time as ever to make choosing more sustainable options even easier for consumers,” continued Feller.