MSC update
There are currently three salmon fisheries certified by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC):
- The first salmon fishery certified by MSC was the Alaska salmon fishery in 2001. This fishery, comprised of 16 certification units, was re-certified in 2007.
- The Iturup Island pink and chum salmon fishery in Russia, comprised of 1 certification unit was certified in 2009.
- British Columbia sockeye salmon, comprised of 4 certification units was certified in 2010.
There are four salmon fisheries currently being assessed against the MSC standard:
- British Columbia pink salmon, consisting of 3 certification units
- British Columbia chum salmon, consisting of 4 certification units
- Annette Islands Reserve (Alaska) salmon, consisting of 1 certification unit
- Sakhalin Island (Russia) pink salmon consisting of 3 certification units
To find out more information on the current status of MSC assessments by North Pacific Region, select one of the following regions:
Alaska Region
Alaska Salmon
Alaska salmon commercial fisheries managed by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) were certified as sustainable by MSC in 2000. Alaska salmon fisheries were re-certified in October 2007 valid for a period of five years. The assessment covered 16 units of certification, representing 5 species and more than 400 salmon stocks spread over the entire state of Alaska. The Final Assessment Report listed 69 conditions for continued certification. Annual surveillance audits are required by MSC to verify whether these conditions are being met. Following completion of the first annual audit, ADF&G announced that they would no longer remain the client for the certified fisheries. The Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation Inc. (AFDF) was confirmed as the new client in February 2010. AFDF committed to meeting the obligations of the client, including being subject to annual audits of the certified fisheries and the successful completion of the remaining conditions of certification. As a result of the change in client, the second and third annual surveillance audits were delayed. A site visit was conducted in Anchorage, AK by the audit team to gather information for both the 2nd and 3rd audits during May 2010. The second annual audit report was completed in December. The third annual audit report will be submitted to MSC no later than January 15, 2011. The next opportunity to provide information to the surveillance team, relative to whether the fisheries are meeting conditions of certification will be this spring, during the annual surveillance audit. To find out more about this fishery and the upcoming annual surveillance audit visit this link.
Annette Islands Reserve Salmon
The Annette Islands Reserve salmon fishery is located in southeast Alaska and is currently being assessed by Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) for MSC certification. The salmon fisheries in the Annette Islands Reserve are managed by the Council, the governing body of the Metlakatla Indian Community (MIC), in conjunction with the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). Because the fisheries are not managed by ADF&G, they were not included in the Alaska Salmon MSC certification. The Council establishes general fishery regulations that are approved by the BIA. The MIC owns and operates the Metlakatla Tamgass hatchery, and manages salmon fisheries within 3,000 ft of shore. Harvest is primarily conducted by purse seine and drift gillnets and by power and hand troll to a lesser degree. The public comment draft report is currently scheduled to be available in January 2011. To find out the status of this report visit this link.
British Columbia Region
British Columbia sockeye salmon
Following a length assessment and objection process, four sockeye certification units: Skeena watershed; Nass watershed; Barkley sound; and Fraser river watershed, received MSC certification in July 2010. During the final stakeholder review phase, two notices of objection were filed in regards to the Nass, Skeena and Fraser River certification units. The Gitskan Watershed Authorities objected on the basis that their group was not adequately notified of the public consultation opportunities surrounding the certification process. Three environmental conservation groups including Watershed Watch Salmon Society, the David Suzuki Foundation and the Skeena Wild Conservation Trust, objected to the certification of the Fraser certification unit for a number of reasons including claims that proper MSC procedures were not followed, that inappropriate scores were awarded and that the assessment team did not take specific information into account during their scoring. An Independent Adjudicator was appointed to review the objections in accordance with MSC procedures. After the initial certification body response, the Gitskan Watershed Authorities withdrew their objection in relation to the Nass and Skeena units of certification and the fisheries were certified on July 2, 2010. The Independent Adjudicator dismissed the objections specific to the Fraser unit of certification, allowing the Fraser unit to be certified on July 12, 2010. The MSC certification is valid for a period of five years providing 49 conditions listed in the public certification report are met. Annual surveillance audits will be conducted over the next five years to verify whether these conditions are being met. Stakeholders will be invited to provide information, relative to whether the fisheries are meeting these conditions, during the annual surveillance audit. To find out more about this fishery and the upcoming annual surveillance audit visit this link.
British Columbia pink and chum salmon
In January 2008, Canadian Pacific Sustainability Fisheries Society, contracted TAVEL Certification (later acquired by Moody Marine Ltd.) to conduct a full fisheries assessment the Marine Stewardship Council Sustainable Fisheries Program on three units of pink salmon and four units of chum salmon in British Columbia.
The public comment draft report on the results of the assessment of the three pink salmon units of certification including the north and central coast fisheries, the inner south coast fisheries and the Fraser River fisheries was released on December 7, 2010 and is now available for review. Active public stakeholder involvement in the MSC assessment process is essential to maintaining a sustainable fishery. Stakeholders are invited to comment at this stage on the factual content of the report, either in relation to specific scoring indicators or sections in the body of the report. Comments should be clearly related to specific scoring indicators or report sections and any recommendations or criticisms should be supported with data or literature citations that the assessment team is able to evaluate. Comments on the report should be submitted before January 20, 2011, to Steven Devitt at Moody Marine Ltd:
E-mail: s.devitt@moodyint.com
Fax: +1 902 422 9780
Steven Devitt with Moody Marine Ltd told us that a public comment draft report for the four chum salmon units of certification is expected to be released in the next few months.
Russia Region
Iturup Island pink and chum salmon
The Iturup Island pink and chum salmon fishery was certified by MSC in July 2009. The 125-mile long Iturup Island is located at the southern end of the Kuril Island chain controlled by Russia. The unit of certification includes the northeastern portion of Iturup Island fished by J.S.C. Gidrostroy that takes place using stationary fish traps set along the coastline and in the bays near the mouths of the rivers. The fishery targets pink salmon from mid-July to September and chum salmon in September and November. The Final Assessment Report listed 8 conditions for continued certification. Annual surveillance audits are required by MSC to verify whether these conditions are being met. To gather information for the first surveillance audit, the surveillance team conducted a site visit in September 2010. The first annual audit report should be submitted to MSC in the near future. The next opportunity to provide information to the surveillance team, relative to whether the fishery is meeting conditions of certification will be next year, during the second annual surveillance audit. To find out more about this fishery, review the first annual report when it is available, or find out when the next annual surveillance audit will be scheduled, visit this link.
Sakhalin Island pink salmon
The Northeast Sakhalin Island and Aniva Bay trap net pink salmon fishery recently announced that it has entered the full assessment phase of the MSC certification process. The 600-mile long Sakhalin Island is located at the far eastern end of Russia, between the Tatar Strait and the Sea of Okhotsk, north of the Japanese island of Hokkaido, and represents 20 percent of global Pacific salmon stocks. The fishery consists of three units of certification and includes 11 fishing companies that annually harvest up to 21,000 metric tons of pink salmon. MRAG Americas has been hired to conduct the assessment and is currently seeking to engage stakeholders with an interest in the fishery to provide comments and information for this assessment process. The assessment process is expected to take 12–16 months and is scheduled for completion around January 2012. Active public stakeholder involvement in the MSC assessment process is essential to maintaining a sustainable fishery. In the near future, MRAG Americas will be proposing an assessment tree for use in assessing this fishery and announcing a site visit. Stakeholders will be asked to review and comment on the proposed assessment tree, and provide relevant information to the assessment team. For current information regarding this assessment go here. To be listed as a stakeholder, or to provide comments and inquiries, contact Bob Trumble, MRAG Americas:
Tel: 727-563-9070
Fax 727-563-0207
Cell 727-455-8220
bob.trumble@mragamericas.com
Last updated December 10, 2010
About MSC
The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) is the principal eco-label certifying the sustainability of commercial fisheries worldwide. To date, over 55 commercial fisheries have been certified under the MSC program, including Alaskan and Russian salmon; and over 50 more are under full assessment, including several salmon fisheries in British Columbia, California and Russia. There are now more than 1,000 MSC-labeled products sold in 61 countries. While consumer awareness of the MSC eco-label appears to be increasing, many consumers and stakeholders remain unaware of the important management performance results of the MSC assessments that can be found within the certification documents. Although MSC reports are publicly available, they are often lengthy and laden with technical jargon. Thus, State of the Salmon has initiated a project called the Visual MSC to map and visualize the MSC assessment results for broad public understanding.