Tag Archives: MSC Certification

North Atlantic Right Whale: Maine Certified Sustainable Lobster Association loses MSC certification despite sustainable management of the Maine lobster fishery

The Maine Certified Sustainable Lobster Association (MCSLA) announced today that its Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification will be suspended due to a recent decision in the federal case Center for Biological Diversity v. Ross. The certificate suspension is occurring despite continued sustainable management of the Maine lobster fishery and remains the direct result of NOAA’s 2014 biological opinion on the impact that lobster fishing has on right whales. The MCSLA is anticipating NOAA’s 2020 draft biological opinion, which may be made public as soon as August 2020. Once the 2020 biological opinion is finalized and implemented, the MCSLA will work to quickly regain its MSC certification. >click to read< 11:45

Seafood society suspends its own MSC certification over lack of stock assessment

Canadian Pacific Sustainable Seafood Society has announced the “self-suspension” of the MSC certification for B.C. wild salmon, over concerns that the proper stock assessments required to maintain MSC verification are not being done. The society fears it will lose its MSC certification anyway, since it feels DFO is failing to do the science and monitoring required to maintain the certification, so it is voluntarily suspending it for B.C. sockeye, pink and chum salmon. It may be a moot point this year, since there are no wild salmon being caught this year for consumers to buy. >click to read< 20:12

A Forage Fish War – Canadian company targets critical forage fish in Atlantic and Gulf

The two U.S. menhaden fisheries are in the Chesapeake Bay and the Gulf,,, Omega Proteins, headquartered in Canada, has sought certification that the fishery is sustainable.,, Now it has sought the same certification in the Gulf of Mexico, according to a joint statement from the American Sportfishing Association, the Coastal Conservation Association, and the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership.,, “The ASA, Theodore Roosevelt , and CCA, have formally objected, That steep price (of MSC certification) caused Sport Fish Magazine writer Doug Olander to pen a satirical op-ed,,,That prompted a swift backlash by Omega Proteins, “According to the ASMFC [Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission], Striped Bass are overfi…>click to read<17:23

Atlantic Canadian herring fisheries lose sustainability label

All three Marine Stewardship Council-certified herring fisheries in Atlantic Canada have lost their MSC-sustainability certification as the forage fish continues to struggle. Last week, the Seafood Producers Association of Nova Scotia voluntarily suspended its MSC certification on behalf of the 10 companies that operate an 11-vessel fleet of herring purse seiners primarily out of southwestern Nova Scotia.,,, “Over the last three years, the stock has been experiencing a decline and recent science information suggests that the stock is likely now in the critical zone.”,,, Earlier this year, the 19-vessel purse seiner herring fishery off western Newfoundland, led by the Barry Group Inc. of St. John’s, withdrew from MSC certification after auditors warned it was taking too many,,,>click to read<11:06

Maine Certified Sustainable Lobster Association, Inc., enters Gulf of Maine lobster fishery for MSC Certification

This assessment is in parallel with a separate assessment of the fishery that led to MSC certification in 2013. The founding members of the client group are Cozy Harbor Seafood, Inc., Craig’s All Natural, LLC, East Coast Seafood, Inc., Garbo Lobster Co., Inc., Inland Seafood, Inc., Mazzetta Company, LLC, and Orion Seafood International, Inc.  Read the rest here 13:50

Alaska’s Salmon Fisheries are One Step Closer to MSC Certification

Another step has been taken towards getting Alaska’s commercial salmon fisheries recertified as sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council. Last fall the MSC sustainability certification of Alaska’s commercial salmon fisheries was allowed to lapse after most of the major seafood processors that operate in the state pulled their support. However, the Purse Seine Vessel Owners Association stepped up to serve as the client for getting the fisheries recertified. more@kdlg 20:52

Iles-de-la-Madeleine lobster fishery achieves MSC certification

The fishery is located in Lobster Fishing Area (LFA) 22 surrounding the Magdalen Islands in the Gulf of St. Lawrence off the east coast of Canada. Lobsters harvested by 325 registered vessels in the fishery by baited trap are now eligible to display the blue MSC ecolabel. more@coaster

MSC Certification success for St Lawrence lobster – ENGO Wealth Foundations Approve!

A CANADIAN lobster fishery in the Gulf of St Lawrence has been certified as up to Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) standards. continued@fishnewseu