Alaska Salmon Industry to Drop MSC Certification

In January, 2012, Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation announced that it had received letters from eight major primary salmon processors advising AFDF they are phasing out their financial support for the Marine Stewardship Council salmon certification program. Collectively the eight processors account for approximately 72% of the Alaska salmon harvest.

The processors will support the MSC program for Alaska salmon only through October of 2012, when the current certificate expires. The eight processors include Trident Seafoods, Icicle Seafoods, Ocean Beauty Seafoods, Peter Pan Seafoods, Alaska General Seafoods, E & E Foods, Kwikpak Fisheries, and North
Pacific Seafoods.

At the salmon industry’s request, AFDF took over the clientship for MSC certification of Alaska salmon in February, 2010. The move came following Alaska Department of Fish and Game's announcement in July of 2008 that they would no longer carry out the duties required of the client.

source: Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation

FoS Certifies As do Mar Tuna

As do Mar brand of tuna and mackerel has been one of the first in Italy to be certified Friend of the Sea since 2006. Generale Conserve produces AS do MAR and it is the second largest tuna company in Italy.

Generale Conserve has recently moved all of its AS do MAR tuna production site to Olbia, in Italy. The factory has been recognized for its green energy practices. Their production site in Italy uses only energy from renewable sources. Both the production and sales units of General Conserve are certified SA8000 for their high labor and social accountability standards.

General Conserve creates employment for over 500 people in its tuna factory in Italy and mackerel factory in Portugal. It’s one of the few companies in Italy where the tuna arrives whole which places full control of the tuna species and size on Generale Conserve has before they process it.

source: FoS

Oregon Dungeness Crab Fishery Earns Marine Stewardship Council Certification

The Oregon Dungeness crab fishery which operates off the USA west coast has earned Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification. The MSC ecolabel was awarded following independent assessment to the MSC standard for sustainable, well-managed fisheries.

Dungeness crab is Oregon’s official 'state crustacean'. The crabs have been harvested commercially along the Pacific coast since the late 1800’s. Dungeness crabs range from central California to the Gulf of Alaska, and is Oregon’s most valuable single species fishery.

Oregon’s harvest for the 2009-2010 season was 23,195,059 pounds (10,521 metric tons) and the landed value was $44.8 million. Oregon is currently the top producer of Dungeness crab worldwide.

The Oregon Dungeness Crab Commission is the fishery client, with 425 limited entry license holders fishing primarily within 10 miles of the Oregon coast. Dungeness crab is sold live, or as fresh or frozen whole cooked crabs, as well as picked meat, legs and sections. The United States is the major market for Dungeness crab although products are also shipped to markets around the world.

"We are very happy to have successfully completed the certification process and join the other fisheries in Oregon and around the world that have earned this important sustainability designation," said Nick Furman, executive director of the Oregon Dungeness Crab Commission. "We anticipate that the MSC label will create new marketplace opportunities and recognition for ‘Oregon Dungeness’ as awareness of and demand for certified seafood products grows."

source: MSC

MSC Announces 7000th Ecolabelled Product

J Sainsbury peeled, frozen prawns recently became the 7000th MSC ecolabelled product worldwide. Growth in MSC ecolabelled products has increased dramatically over the past four years doubling, on average, every 12 - 15 months.

According to MSC, consumer interest in their branding has rocketed over the past two years with recent figures showing a 60% increase in recognition of the MSC ecolabel in the UK. The organization reports that nearly one in five people now recognize the MSC ecolabel..

source: MSC press release

MSC Ecolabel Public Awareness

Close to one in four adults are aware of the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) ecolabel, according to a survey carried out by AMR Marketing Research in July 2010.

The research, carried out in the USA, Canada, UK, Germany, France, and Japan shows that across these regions, 23 per cent of the adult population is now aware of the MSC ecolabel – up from 9 per cent in 2008.

Awareness of the MSC ecolabel varies across the regions but is currently at the highest level in Germany, which has leapt to 36 per cent (from 11 per cent in 2008).

According to the study, consumers report they are looking for and buying more ecolabelled products these days (37 per cent), the surveys show that there are a growing number of shoppers that are increasingly environmentally conscious and concerned about sustainability (56 per cent); less price sensitive (32 per cent);  and prepared to go out of their way to purchase ecolabelled products (24 per cent).

Overall, 55 per cent of respondents believe ecolabels are effective in helping bringing changes to environmental/social problems (33 per cent still undecided) and 65 per cent think that buying MSC- labelled products will help bring improvements to the marine environment (31 per cent  still undecided).

The growth in awareness is also supported by other research carried out by Panelwizard commissioned in March 2010 in the Netherlands in which 22 % of respondents can identify the MSC ecolabel.

source: Marine Stewardship Council press release

Friend of the Sea Certifies Leal Santos Skipjack and Yellowfin Tuna

Friend of the Sea has announced the certification of Skipjack and Yellowfin tuna from Indústrias Alimentícias Leal Santos Ltda which is part of ACTEMSA, a Spanish canning group.

By using rod and live bait to catch tuna, one of the lowest environmental impact methods, Leal Santos does not risk over exploiting stocks or generating by catch.

The Friend of the Sea certification will highlight the environmental value of the tuna origin.

source: Friend of the Sea

MSC Traceability Program Forensic Techniques

Independent DNA tests on 240 random samples have shown that MSC certified fish continues to perform well in traceability tests. All of the samples showed that they came from the fish labelled on the pack and none of the products was mislabelled. These early results establish DNA analysis as a valuable tool in combating the fraudulent use of ecolabels. As a result, the MSC plans to expand the testing of species later this year.

The first DNA tests were developed for three species: Alaska salmon (Oncorhynchus sp.), Alaska pollock (Theragra chalcogramma) and South Georgia toothfish (Dissostichus eleginoides).  Scientists took reference samples of these three species from MSC certified fisheries and analysed their DNA profiles.  The team took samples from MSC-labelled products sold in four key markets (the USA, the UK, Germany and Japan) and compared their DNA profiles with those of the reference samples.  All were found to be the species declared on the pack.

The next phase of the DNA testing program will assess more products containing Alaska salmon, Alaska pollock and South Georgia toothfish, and develop tests for a further four fish species: Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus), hake (Merluccius paradoxus and M. capensis), hoki (Macruronus novaezelandiae)and herring (Clupea harengus).

source: MSC

MSC Certifies Eastern Canada Offshore Lobster

The Eastern Canada offshore lobster (Homarus americanus) fishery operating within the Canadian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) off the eastern seaboard of Canada has earned Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification having been independently assessed and found to be sustainable and well-managed.  Products from the Eastern Canada offshore lobster fishery will now be eligible to bear the blue MSC ecolabel.

source: MSC

South African Hake Trawl Achieves Re-certification

Hake from the South African trawl fishery will continue to carry the Marine Stewardship Council eco-label after successfully completing its five year re-assessment against the MSC standard.

The trawl fishery comprises the inshore sector, which targets predominantly shallow water hake (Merluccius capensis) on South Africa’s South Coast, and the offshore sector, which targets mostly deep water hake (M. paradoxus), on fishing grounds extending from the Namibian border southwards along the Alguhas fringe.

The South African hake-directed trawl fishery developed in the early 1900’s and peaked in the early 1970’s. A conservative management strategy since the early 1980’s has led to a gradual recovery in catch rates. Stock rebuilding efforts are ongoing.

Scottish Atlanto Scandian Herring Fishery Gains MSC certification

The Scottish Pelagic Sustainability Group’s (SPSG) Atlanto-Scandian herring fishery has been certified as a sustainable and well-managed fishery under the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) standard.  Herring taken from this fishery are now eligible to bear the MSC ecolabel.

SPSG pelagic trawlers, fitted with the latest refrigerated seawater tank systems, catch Atlanto-Scandian herring over a large area of the northeast Atlantic.  The UK has a quota of 20,600 tonnes for 2010, which is around 1.4% of the Total Allowable Catch for the Atlanto-Scandian herring stock. Much of this is taken in February, the main fishing season, with the remainder caught in the autumn.

Carrying an MSC ecolabel is an important marketing tool and allows SPSG members to compete on a level playing field with other countries’ products, particularly Norway and Denmark. Key markets for Atlanto-Scandian herring are Russia, Ukraine and China.

source: MSC press release

Faroese Herring Fishery Awarded MSC Certification

The Faroese Atlanto-Scandian (Norwegian Spring Spawning) herring fishery - Faroese Pelagic Organization- has attained the MSC environmental standard for sustainable and well-managed fisheries.

The independent assessment team confirmed that the target herring stock is abundant and able to sustain fishing effort; that there were low by-catch and discard rates in the fishery; and that the fishery was well-managed, with clear and defined objectives.  They also concluded that the environmental impact of the fishery on the marine habitat and ecosystem is minimal as there is no physical contact between the seabed and the purse seines and pelagic trawls operated by the FPO-vessels.

The fishery follows one of the largest herring stocks in the world as it migrates from its spawning grounds along the Norwegian continental shelf to its summer feeding grounds in the Faroese, Icelandic and international areas.

source: MSC press release

Global Trust Chosen for Certification of Alaska's Fisheries

The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) Board of Directors has announced that Global Trust Certification Ltd. has been chosen to perform an independent, third-party certification of Alaska's fisheries management systems.

Under the agreed model, each major Alaska fishery will be assessed for conformance to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries and the FAO Guidelines for Ecolabelling Fishery Products.  The substantive requirements of the FAO Codes are the world's most widely recognized sustainability principles.

Alaska intends to certify the management structure of its major commercial fisheries; salmon, shellfish, groundfish and halibut and black cod. The first fishery certification is scheduled to be completed in 2011.

source: ASMI press release

Friend of the Sea Certifiies Norwegian Farmed Cod Producer

As the Friend of the Sea project meets an increasing enthusiasm among the Norwegian seafood producers, Domstein,  a major company has obtained sustainability certification for its farmed cod production.

Environmental impact assessments have been run successfully before sites development and water parameters are being checked on a daily basis. Cages technical specification prevent escapes while action plans are in place in case any escape would occur. No GM feed is fed, following strict feed management procedure. Feed use optimization and more than 65 meters depth under the cages ensure limited a sustainable impact of the production on the environment.

“Domstein is not new to environmental certification, having achevied also ISO 14001 and KRAV certification” comments Tone Karstensen of Domstein Fish AS “Friend of the Sea is an international seafood certification and will surely represent an added value for some European markets”