Saving Seafood

US Atlantic scup bottom-trawl fishery achieves MSC certification

May 18, 2022 — The U.S. Atlantic scup bottom-trawl fishery has achieved Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification, verifying sustainable fishing practices are being used in the fishery. The certificate will be jointly held by commercial fishing operations of Cape May, New Jersey, U.S.A.-based Lund’s Fisheries and North Kingstown, Rhode Island, U.S.A.-based Seafreeze.

Scup (Stenotomus chrysops) is a brown and silver food fish found in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean, primarily between Cape Cod, Massachusetts, U.S.A., and Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, U.S.A.. The fish is also known as porgy, maiden, fairmaid, and ironsides. Unlike many fish populations, scup is considered an “underutilized species.” Scup populations have been steadily increasing along the U.S. East Coast since the mid-1990s, MSC said.

Read the full story at SeafoodSource

 

Atlantic Scup Fishery Achieves MSC Certification

May 11, 2022 — The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) announced that the Atlantic Scup (Stenotomus chrysops) bottom trawl fishery has achieved MSC certification for sustainable fishing practices. The MSC Fisheries Standard is a globally recognized standard used to assess if a fishery is well-managed, and reflects the most up-to-date understanding of internationally accepted fisheries science and management. The MSC certificate for scup is jointly held by commercial fishing operations Lund’s Fisheries, Inc. and Seafreeze, Ltd.

The Atlantic scup certification follows a rigorous twelve-month review carried out by a third-party assessment body, SCS Global Services. The MSC Fisheries Standard has three core principles that every certified fishery must meet including 1) sustainable fish stocks, 2) minimizing environmental impact, and 3) effective fisheries management.  As well as preserving fish stocks and the marine environment,  the MSC certification process ensures that scup products can be traced to a sustainable source through required recordkeeping.

Eric Critchlow, US Director for the MSC, said: “The certification of the scup fishery will help safeguard livelihoods, seafood supplies, and healthy oceans for future generations. Being a new whitefish fishery to gain MSC certification is a notable achievement and we welcome Lund’s and Seafreeze’s commitment to fisheries sustainability.”

Lund’s Fisheries principals own and operate 20 fishing vessels delivering a variety of seafood to its freezing and processing facility year-round. Other, independent vessels, from North Carolina through Maine, land scup at the company’s Cape May, NJ plant, as well.

Read the full story at National Fisherman

Atlantic scup from Lund’s Fisheries becomes the fourth MSC-certified product offered by the family-owned New Jersey company

May 10, 2022 — The following was released by Lund’s Fisheries:

Lund’s Fisheries, Inc., operating in Cape May, New Jersey since 1954, is pleased to announce that the company’s Atlantic scup fishery has been certified as sustainable according to Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) standards. MSC certification is one of the most rigorous and sought-after sustainability certifications in the world, and our scup trawl fishery now meets those high standards.

Scup is Lund’s fourth MSC-certified fishery, following the company’s certifications for Atlantic sea scallops, Loligo squid, and Illex squid. Lund’s has been a seafood industry leader on the Atlantic coast in certifying its fisheries as sustainable for U.S. and international markets and will continue to look for new opportunities to add products to the MSC certification process.

The company owns and operates 20 fishing vessels delivering seafood to its freezing and processing facility year-round. Other independent vessels, from North Carolina through Maine, land scup at the company’s plant, utilizing its 500 metric ton daily freezing capacity.

“Lund’s Fisheries is proud of our long-standing commitment to harvesting and processing some of the most sustainable seafood in the world, and the MSC certification of our scup fishery is just the latest example of that commitment,” said Wayne Reichle, President of Lund’s Fisheries. “In partnership with the MSC, consumers can continue to trust that our products meet the highest standards of responsible sourcing. This new certification will help us to present another locally harvested, sustainable fish to the public that they may not have heard of, seen, or eaten before.”

The certification comes after a year-long, comprehensive evaluation by independent third-party assessor SCS Global Services. The assessment ensures that the Atlantic scup trawl fishery meets the three MSC Principles, focusing on the status of the scup resource and the harvest strategy in place; the fisheries ecosystem impacts, including efforts to avoid interactions with endangered and protected species; and the governance and management system employed by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. MSC certification also ensures that Atlantic scup products can be traced back to where they were caught through required recordkeeping, from harvest to product sale.

The fishery’s strengths include a well-defined and proven governance system of national and state laws; a suite of strategic policy frameworks that are supportive of the MSC’s Principles; effective leadership within federal and state management and scientific organizations; a transparent and engaging consultation and decision-making process; and a proven federal-state record of effective collaboration and cooperation at all levels.

Atlantic scup, which is mainly fished in New England and Mid-Atlantic waters, is considered to be an “underutilized” species, meaning that the population is healthy, and that fishing levels are well below the sustainable limits set for the fishery.

“Demand for sustainable U.S. seafood is only growing, and we are pleased to receive this certification from the MSC, which has become the international leader in seafood sustainability,” said Jeff Kaelin, Lund’s Director of Sustainability and Government Relations.  “This certification reflects the hard work done by our fishermen and our production team at our Cape May plant to successfully sell sustainably harvested products to our customers. It also represents tremendous support from our management partners at the Council and Commission in helping us to accumulate the technical information used in this process over the past year.”

US Atlantic Scup Fishery Achieves MSC Certification

May 10, 2022 — International non-profit organization the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) announced on Monday that the Atlantic Scup (Stenotomus chrysops) bottom trawl fishery has achieved MSC certification for sustainable fishing practices. The MSC certificate for scup is jointly held by commercial fishing operations Lund’s Fisheries, Inc. and Seafreeze, Ltd.

“The certification of the scup fishery will help safeguard livelihoods, seafood supplies and healthy oceans for future generations,” said Eric Critchlow, U.S. Director for the MSC. “Being a new whitefish fishery to gain MSC certification is a notable achievement and we welcome Lund’s and Seafreeze’s commitment to fisheries sustainability.”

Lund’s Fisheries owns and operates 20 fishing vessels that deliver a variety of seafood to their freezing and processing facilities. In addition, independent vessels land scup at their Cape May, New Jersey, plant. Meanwhile, Seafreeze owns and operates three vessels out of their facility in North Kingstown, Rhode Island, and their affiliated company Seafreeze Shoreside handles an additional 10-12 independent vessels that deliver scup.

Read the full story at Seafood News

Russian salmon expert worried international sanctions could threaten ongoing sustainability efforts

April 5, 2022 — Natasha Novikova is the founder of ForSea Solutions, a sustainability and technical consultancy for the seafood industry based in the U.S. state of Oregon that was formed in 2016 to provide technical guidance to U.S. and Russian fisheries working to achieve Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification and implement fishery improvement projects (FIPs). It has provided technical guidance and leadership support to more than 30 Russian salmon and pollock fishing companies, helping them to achieve MSC certification, and an additional five that are currently in various stages of advancing toward MSC levels of sustainability. Novikova has also worked to connect Russian salmon firms with High Liner Foods, The Fishin’ Company, and Gorton’s.

SeafoodSource: What are the salmon companies you’ve worked with in Russia going through right now, following the international sanctions that have been placed on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine?

Novikova: Most of my clients were in shock and disbelief for the first week to 10 days due to this completely new reality for their potential markets. But now they are generally optimistic that the sanctions will pass and business will be back to normal. I think that for them, it’s just the way they’re dealing with the situation. I’m pretty certain that there’s a huge portion of the Russian population, and the Russian business community as well, who just want stability.

Russia’s salmon season starts in June or July [depending on the region]. The fishermen are actively planning for the fishing season. Right now, they’re still relying on the notion that this will pass and there will be a new opportunity, whatever emerges. I’m quite sure most of the companies are having conversations with buyers, especially in countries that haven’t issued sanctions, and trying to line up markets for the upcoming season. Russians are really good about adapting and figuring out ways to survive. They have a mindset of perseverance. Russian people have dealt with many other tragedies and catastrophes in their lives.

Read the full story at SeafoodSource

Russian pollock keeps MSC certification, but certification body’s future in Russia uncertain

March 30, 2022 — The Vladivostok, Russia-based Pollock Catchers Association (PCA) will be able to keep its Marine Stewardship Council certification so long as it follows through on a plan to conduct more-sustainable fishing in three fishing zones in 2022.

The decision came as the association and the Russian government shared concerns that the MSC may be forced to suspend its presence in the country due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the international sanctions levied against Russia in response.

Read the full story at SeafoodSource

 

Changes to MSC fisheries standard up for public review

February 4, 2022 — The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) has initiated a 60-day public review of its proposed updates to the MSC fisheries standard, with stakeholders having until 4 April to review and provide feedback.

More than 446 fisheries, representing about 17 percent of the global wild marine harvest, are certified to the MSC fisheries standard – which is regularly reviewed for best practices in fisheries management. The current fisheries standard review began in 2018, and has included the participation of over 1,000 stakeholders. The draft standard has been approved by the MSC’s board of trustees and is now moving into the final stage of public review.

Read the full story at SeafoodSource

Make Stewardship Count Coalition raises concerns about new MSC standard

January 24, 2022 — The Make Stewardship Count Coalition is raising concerns that the latest draft of the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) standards, being released on 1 February, 2022, will not improve the requirements for achieving its sustainable seafood certification.

The Make Stewardship Count Coalition consists of more than 90 NGOs, experts, organizations, and researchers with the collective aim of pushing for improvements to the MSC standard and certification. The coalition has released a set of scorecards that evaluated the multiyear process of the MSC fisheries standard review, which included a list of critical flaws in the seafood certification program. According to the scorecards, though MSC increased engagement opportunities during the review, the final stage of consultations lacks transparency.

Read the full story at SeafoodSource

 

Wild Alaska Pollock Named a 2021 MSC US Ocean Champion

January 20, 2022 — The following was released by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC):

The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) today awarded Wild Alaska Pollock the 2021 MSC US Ocean Champion Award for their continued dedication and longstanding commitment to seafood sustainability. Represented by the At-Sea Processors Association (APA) on the fishery side, and by the Association of Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers (GAPP) on the marketing side, the Wild Alaska Pollock fishery has been a leader in sustainable fisheries management for decades. GAPP and APA join three other MSC partners named Ocean Champion in 2021.

The Award was presented to APA last month in Seattle, and today GAPP received the award at the National Fisheries Institute’s Global Seafood Marketing Conference in Orlando.

“I am proud to recognize the At-Sea Processors Association (APA) and Association of Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers for their collaborative efforts to ensure a sustainable wild Alaska pollock fishery,” said Erika Feller, MSC Americas regional director. “We at MSC appreciate the partnership with both organizations and the incredible job they have done to spotlight Wild Alaska Pollock as one of the healthiest and most sustainable sources of protein.”

The MSC US Ocean Champion Award is an annual award that was established in 2017 to reward fisheries and companies engaged in the MSC program who demonstrate continued leadership on sustainability. Wild Alaska Pollock is recognized not only for its results but the transparency provided by the industry: independent observers actively participate in the fishing process, and publicly monitored flow scales are used to verify the accuracy of the harvests of Wild Alaska Pollock and the low amounts of incidental catches of other species. Observers also collect critical information that enables fishery scientists to ascertain the overall and on-going health of the fishery.

“Wild Alaska Pollock is good for our consumers and harvested in a way that is good for the planet. This award is a well-deserved tribute to all who conscientiously operate this fishery and celebrates our passion for sustainable fishery management,” said Mikel Durham, Chair of the GAPP Board of Directors. “We feel so strongly about conserving our fisheries and reducing our impact that we self-funded an industry-wide, 3rd-party-verified assessment last year to further increase the transparency of our ecological footprint. This MSC award is another important step in our mission to share our story with customers and consumers who are looking to make food choices based on environmental impact.”

Past award honorees include the Annette Island Reserve Salmon Fishery/Metlakatla Indian Community, Bamboo Sushi and the Sustainable Restaurant Group, Bar Harbor Foods, EcoFish, Sam’s Club Health & Wellness Team, TransOcean, US Foods, Vital Choice Seafood, and Whole Foods Market. Awardees are selected based on their demonstrated leadership and the ability to spark positive change within the industry. The custom glass award featuring a wave is handmade in downtown Seattle, WA.

Sourcing sustainable seafood is increasingly important for planetary health, and a growing priority for consumers. The ocean feeds billions of people and provides 80% of the world’s biodiversity. A report by the UN Food & Agriculture Organization (UNFAO) shows that sustainable fisheries are more productive and resilient to change, and the UN Environment Program reports that sustainable fishing protects ocean biodiversity. For seafood consumers, eating sustainable fish is increasingly important, with 55% of U.S. seafood consumers believing we must consume seafood only from sustainable sources to protect the ocean. Furthermore, 64% of Americans want retailers’ and brands’ claims about sustainability and the environment to be clearly labeled by an independent organization, such as the MSC. APA and GAPP’s leadership in sourcing and marketing certified sustainable seafood is testament to their hard work and dedication to ensuring wild seafood is available for generations to come.

 

Pew Trusts, MSC Say WCPFC Need to Work Faster to Adopt Sustainable Tuna Harvest Strategies

December 9, 2021 — The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) warned that 22 tuna fisheries in the Western Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO) are at-risk of certification suspension after “disappointing progress” was made at the annual meeting of the Western Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) this month.

The MSC explained that the 28 MSC-certified fisheries in the WCPO have timebound conditions of certification to the MSC’s standard for sustainable fishing which requires harvest strategy adoption by 2023.

“Harvest strategies – or the rules which ensure the long-term management of stocks – act as a ‘safety net’ if currently healthy fish stocks begin to decline. They are fundamental to sound fisheries management, and are critical to future health of the stocks, especially for highly migratory species like tuna which span geopolitical boundaries,” the MSC wrote in a press release.

Read the full story at Seafood News