Saving Seafood

Bahamas’ spiny lobster fishery achieves region’s first MSC certification

August 14, 2018 — The Bahamas spiny lobster on 7 August became the first Caribbean fishery to receive Marine Council Stewardship certification, placing it among an elite group of just 8 percent of developing countries’ fisheries to be certified.

The MSC label is given to wild-caught seafood that has been certified as sustainable according to the MSC’s scientific standards. The fishery’s certification was awarded by the accredited third-party assessment body Control Union Pesca Ltd., following a detailed 19-month assessment.

“With the certification, the lobster tails are now eligible to carry the internationally recognized MSC blue fish label, which makes it easy for consumers to know that they’re choosing seafood that is as good for the ocean as it is for them,” the MSC said.

Mia Isaac, the president of the Bahamas Marine Exporters Association, said the certification “is a proud accomplishment”

“We eagerly accept the MSC stamp of approval. It’s been a collaborative effort and we are thankful to all the stakeholders, especially the fishermen,” Isaac said. “As we continually improve our spiny lobster fishery, we aim for product of The Bahamas to become synonymous with strength, collaboration and sustainability.”

Read the full story at Seafood Source

MSC teams up with Walmart in China

August 14, 2018 — An effort to court major retailers in China appears to be paying off for the Marine Stewardship Council, which teamed with Walmart and the China Chain Store and Franchising Association (CCFA) for the launch of a “Sustainable Seafood Week” in a Sam’s Club store in Shenzhen the week of 13 August.

Chinese retailers want to make the upstream portion of the supply chain more sustainable, according to Pei Liang, secretary general of the CCFN. He pointed to the MSC label as a “standard” by which Chinese retailers can measure their sustainability efforts.

“We want environmental protection from suppliers to consumers,” Shi Jia Qi, Walmart China’s vice president of government relations, told SeafoodSource. Shi said Walmart will seek to increase the number of MSC-labeled goods stocked in Sam’s Club stores in China.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

For Maine lobstermen, conservation and success go hand in hand

June 26, 2018 — It’s 7 a.m. on the Pull n’ Pray. The lobster boat rocks over large swells as the water sparkles in the June morning sun. The grating whirr of the hydraulic winch drowns out the hum of the boat’s motor as it lifts the first lobster trap of the day out of the water. Justin Papkee swings the trap up onto the side of his boat and quickly opens the latch. Suddenly there are lobsters flying through the air.

Mr. Papkee’s blue rubber gloved hand is nearly a blur as he reaches again and again into the open trap, tossing the lobsters back into the water rapid-fire before pulling in the next trap.

Splash. Splash. Splash.

Occasionally he pauses to measure a lobster, or check for a notch or dense clusters of eggs on its tail. After Papkee and his sternman, Jim Ranaghan, have hauled up and sorted through all 16 traps on this line, just one keeper sits in a milk crate on the deck. Then, it’s onto the next set of traps.

This is a worse than average day for the lobsterman, but even on the absolute best days Papkee throws back about half of the lobsters he catches. On those days, he says, it feels like he’s keeping them all by comparison.

Papkee had traveled about 10 miles offshore from Portland to check his traps. It took more than an hour to get to the first of his red and blue buoys. But as he tosses lobster after lobster back into the ocean, Papkee seems unfazed.

“This is just how it’s done,” he says.

Maine has particularly strict rules about which lobsters can be kept. But lobstermen generally don’t resent those laws. In fact, they’re the ones that came up with most of them.

The conservation of natural resources is often portrayed as being in opposition to economic interests, placing the good of the globe over individual livelihoods. But most Maine lobstermen don’t see it that way. They have what has been called a “conservation ethic” that dates back more than a century and has yielded a long list of sustainability rules.

“When you think about this at first glance, it seems crazy. They caught them, why would they want to throw them back?” says Matt Jacobson, executive director of the Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative. “[The lobstermen] are very mindful of the notion that they are the protectors of the resource.”

This has made Maine lobster one of the world’s most sustainable fisheries. In 2016, the region earned certification from the international Marine Stewardship Council for its “rigorous sustainability requirements,” which have also contributed to a boom the industry is currently experiencing. And with climate change presenting a new challenge for Maine’s iconic lobsters, some researchers say, this commitment to conservation may be more important than ever before.

The duty to protect the resource was ingrained in lobsterman Sonny Beal at just five years old. His father taught him to prioritize the health of the fishery over the weight of his hauls, just like generations before him. He learned to measure lobsters, to check if they were reproductive females, and to notch the tails of any egg-bearing females before throwing them back. Now a lobsterman and father himself, Mr. Beal is teaching his two sons the same.

“I think that we’ve got something really great here and will have something really great for a long time to come because we do take care of it every day,” Beal says. Lobstermen have been passing the tradition of conservation down through generations of sons (and more recently daughters as well) for decades.

Read the full story Christian Science Monitor

 

Adjudicator rules that controversial Shetland scallop fishery can be MSC certified

June 21, 2018 — An independent adjudicator appointed to oversee the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) re-certification of Shetland’s inshore brown crab and scallop fishery has ruled that NGO Open Seas failed to establish grounds for its objection in the first place.

Open Seas brought its objection in March, saying, “it is with some regret that we are challenging the proposed re-certification of the scallop dredge fishery in Shetland”.

“Unfortunately the possible re-certification of scallop dredging here, under its current management regime, risks green-washing an important certification standard that should represent a benchmark for sustainability,”

Adjudicator Eldon Greenberg stated the objection was dismissed in its entirety, after seeing Open Seas’ written submissions and hearing its oral evidence.

In essence, Open Seas’ objection boiled down to the fact that, in its view, the scallop fishery causes “serious or irreversible harm” to habitat structure. The NGO was unable to prove this statement though. Greenberg found that “what matters is not so much the damage wrought by the fishery in the areas fished, but the scale of damage compared to the range of habitat”.

Read the full story at Undercurrent News

McDonald’s Came Out With A Card Game Based On The Filet-O-Fish

June 13, 2018 — Love it or hate it, the Filet-O-Fish is one of McDonald’s most recognizable items. Kanye West raps about it, President Trump eats two of them at a time, and now, there’s a card game devoted to it. McDonald’s released ‘Reel It In’ online this week, and the purpose is way more noble than you might think.

The kids’ game was created to teach kids about sustainable fishing practices, as well as highlight McDonald’s environmental efforts. According to the company, every single Filet-O-Fish sandwich is made with Marine Stewardship Council-certified wild-caught Alaska pollock.

What that means is that during the catch process, the fishery McDonald’s sources from avoids catching fish that aren’t the desired type (this is called bycatch). The fishery also makes use of the entire fish for other purposes so that there is zero waste.

Read the full story at Delish

McDonald’s Uses Its Scale for Good to Advance Fish Sustainability ‘Reel It In!’ Card Game Aims to Educate Children on Sustainable Fishing

June 7, 2018 — The following was released by the Marine Stewardship Council:

McDonald’s is using its size and scale to advance sustainable fish sourcing as the industry standard, helping to protect long-term fish supplies and help improve the health of surrounding marine ecosystems.

Every Filet-O-Fish® sandwich served in the U.S. is made with Alaska pollock from the largest Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified fishery in the world. Located in the Northeast Pacific Ocean, the fishery’s sustainability measures include avoiding capture of non-targeted fish – called bycatch – at one of the world’s lowest rates, one percent. Aside from the filets, the fishery also makes use of the entire fish for other purposes (including oil, roe and bones), resulting in zero waste, according to a report issued by Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers.

In 2018, McDonald’s USA marks five years as the first and only global restaurant company to serve MSC certified fish at every U.S. location.

Nearly half of all American consumers surveyed as part of a recent global consumer perceptions study are concerned about overfishing. Nearly 80% of U.S. consumers agree that we need to protect fish for the future so our children and grandchildren can continue to enjoy seafood. The consumer survey was carried out by an independent research and insights company,GlobeScan, on behalf of the MSC organization.

“The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) is proud to be a part of McDonald’s sustainability journey, and its dedication to supporting fishermen and companies doing the right thing,” said Brian Perkins, Regional Director Americas, Marine Stewardship Council. “Supporting communities that depend on fish, promoting sustainable practices, and ensuring traceability along the supply chain through the MSC program help to ensure that our children and grandchildren will be able to enjoy seafood for generations to come.”

To underscore McDonald’s commitment to healthy oceans and fish for future generations, and make the topic accessible for children, McDonald’s, in partnership with the MSC, created “Reel It In!” – the only card game in the sea that teaches the importance of sustainable fishing. The game is available for download online.

In 2011 and 2013, McDonald’s Europe and McDonald’s USA, respectively, elected to certify their more than 20,000 combined restaurants to the MSC Chain of Custody traceability standard. Today all of the Filet-O-Fish® portions served in Europe, U.S., Canada and Brazil bear the MSC certified label. McDonald’s is committed to sourcing 100% of wild-caught fish globally from verified sustainable sources by 2020.

About the MSC

The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) is an international non-profit organization. Our vision is for the world’s oceans to be teeming with life, and seafood supplies safeguarded for this and future generations. Our ecolabel and certification programrecognises and rewards sustainable fishing practices and is helping create a more sustainable seafood market.

The MSC ecolabel on a seafood product means that:
-It comes from a wild-catch fishery which has been independently certified to the MSC’s science-based standard for environmentally sustainable fishing.
-It’s fully traceable to a sustainable source.

More than 300 fisheries in over 34 countries are certified to the MSC’s Standard. These fisheries have a combined annual seafood production of almost nine million metric tons, representing 12% of global marine catch. More than 25,000 seafood products worldwide carry the MSC label. For more information visit www.msc.org

Friend of the Sea overtakes MSC as world’s largest wild catch eco-label by volumes

May 29, 2018 — The Friend of the Sea (FoS) certification has become the single largest source of certified-sustainable wild catch on the global market, according to the last United Nations (UN) State of Sustainability Initiatives review, FoS said in its annual report published last month.

Its certified volumes have “grown at a rate of 91% per annum between 2008 and 2015, reaching 9.3 million metric tons of FoS certified wild catch seafood in 2015”, it said, referring to data from the last UN State of Sustainability Initiatives, which dates back to 2015.

Of total global wild catches, about 14% is certified, according to the UN. FoS accounted for 6.2% of certified volumes, while Marine Stewardship Council for 5.7% (see table).

About 770 companies are now certified under FoS, including both farmed and wild species. One hundred and fifty commercial species, 44 approved fisheries and fleets and 3,000 products have been certified by FoS.

Read the full story at Undercurrent News

 

Northeast longfin squid earns MSC certification

May 29, 2018 — The Northeast inshore longfin squid fishery became the first squid fishery in the world to achieve Marine Stewardship Council certification this week as independent certifier SCS Global Services wrapped up an 11-month-long detailed assessment.

The fishery takes place along the East Coast from the Gulf of Maine to Cape Hatteras, N.C. Squid are harvested by small-mesh bottom trawls by the fishery client group Lund’s Fisheries of Cape May, N.J., and the Town Dock of Narragansett, R.I., along with independent fishermen throughout the region. The bottom trawl fishery for longfin squid follows the species’ seasonal inshore/offshore migration patterns.

“We are excited to build additional trust with our customers through MSC’s certification of our longfin squid fishery,” said Wayne Reichle, president of Lund’s Fisheries. “This certification demonstrates that our domestic fisheries management system is working to sustainably manage our major squid fishery to the benefit of the resource, fishing communities, and calamari lovers everywhere.”

“All of us at the Town Dock are excited to be part of such a historic initiative,” said Ryan Clark, CEO of the Town Dock. “Our goal has always been to provide customers with a healthy and sustainable product. By certifying longfin squid, we hope to take the promise of sustainability a step further by protecting the fishery to ensure consumers have access to squid now and for many years to come.”

Read the full story at National Fisherman

 

MSC awards first certification to a squid fishery

May 24, 2018 — The Marine Stewardship Council has awarded its first-ever certification to an inshore squid fishery: the loligo fishery in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean harvested by US companies Lund’s Fisheries and The Town Dock.

The certification was awarded May 22 by the independent auditor SCS Global Services following an 11-month assessment, according to a press release.  The fishery, which will remain certified until 2023, stretches from the Gulf of Maine to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.

Read the full story at Undercurrent News

 

First Squid Fishery in the World Certified as Sustainable

May 24, 2018 — The following was released by the Marine Stewardship Council, Lund’s Fisheries, The Town Dock, and SCS Global Services:   

The U.S. Northeastern Longfin Inshore Squid fishery in the Northwest Atlantic is the first squid fishery in the world to achieve MSC certification as a sustainable and well-managed fishery. The certification was awarded on May 22 by independent certifier SCS Global Services following an 11-month long detailed assessment.

The Longfin inshore squid (Doryteuthis (Amerigo) pealeii), also referred to as Loligo squid, has a lifespan of less than one year. They spawn year-round as they migrate long-distances between inshore and offshore waters. They generally remain inshore during spring and offshore during late fall. As with most squid species, environmental factors such as temperature play a significant role in the timing of migrations, distribution, growth, and spawning. Due to changing water temperatures, squid have been migrating further North up the coast than in past years. It is one species that may benefit from climate change, rather than be negatively impacted by it, according to studies.

“We are thrilled to congratulate the fishery for becoming the first squid fishery in the world to attain MSC certification,” said Brian Perkins, MSC’s Regional Director for the Americas. “This achievement is an acknowledgement and testimony to the great work that the fishers are doing to ensure that they fish responsibly, and will have the resource available for generations to come.”

The fishery takes place on the U.S. continental shelf from the Gulf of Maine to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. Squid are harvested by small mesh bottom trawls by fishery client group Lund’s Fisheries Inc. of Cape May, New Jersey, and The Town Dock of Narragansett, Rhode Island along with independent fishermen throughout the region using the same fishing method. The bottom trawl fishery for longfin squid follows the species’ seasonal inshore/offshore migration patterns.

“We are excited to build additional trust with our customers through MSC’s certification of our longfin squid fishery,” said Wayne Reichle, President of Lund’s Fisheries. “This certification demonstrates that our domestic fisheries management system is working to sustainably manage our major squid fishery to the benefit of the resource, fishing communities, and calamari lovers everywhere.”

“All of us at The Town Dock are excited to be part of such a historic initiative,” said Ryan Clark, CEO of The Town Dock. “Our goal has always been to provide customers with a healthy and sustainable product. By certifying longfin squid, we hope to take the promise of sustainability a step further by protecting the fishery to ensure consumers have access to squid now and for many years to come.”

The two companies are also immediately pursuing a scope extension via an expedited assessment of the Northern shortfin squid small mesh bottom trawl fishery under MSC principles. Northern shortfin squid (Illex illecebrosus), also known as illex, is a commercially important species with a broad range that extends between the Sea of Labrador and the Florida Straits.

Development of the U.S. domestic longfin squid bottom trawl fishery began in the early 1980s as the U.S. industry developed the appropriate technology to catch and process squid in large quantities, and became solely domestic in 1987.

The fishery is certified until 2023 and will undergo annual audits within that timeframe to ensure the MSC standard continues to be met.