SeafoodSource is closely following the sustainable seafood movement by compiling a regular round-up of sector updates about sustainability initiatives and certifications.
- Ocean Wise has dropped its recommendation of Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)-certified salmon fisheries from Southeast Alaska due to concerns over the incidental catch of southern Pacific salmon and the impact that bycatch has on removing a primary food source of endangered Southern Resident killer whales.
The Vancouver, British Columbia, U.S.A.-based nonprofit organization strives to provide seafood buyers with recommendations to help them make “ocean-friendly buying decisions” that ensure resilient stocks, adaptive management, and limited negative impacts on other species. It offers an eco-label for use on products that receive its recommendation.
Ocean Wise faulted the Southeast Alaska salmon fisheries for stock interception, bycatch, endangered species impact, and inadequate management to prevent overfishing.
“This fishery is intercepting and harvesting salmon stocks inseparable or practically inseparable from B.C., Washington, and Oregon stocks. Some of these stocks are destined for rivers in B.C. and contribute to the future survival of Canadian salmon runs. Evidence suggests that a significant proportion of these stocks are harvested within Southeast Alaska fisheries and are currently outside of their biologically based limits, compromising southern ecosystems,” Ocean Wise said in a press release.
Furthermore, the fishery’s bycatch is impacting sockeye populations currently at low abundance levels, and drift gillnet, seine, and troll fisheries in Southeast Alaska are impacting steelhead and other at-risk species that are outside of their biological limits. Also, the fishery targets Chinook salmon that are the main food source of a local population of endangered Southern Resident killer whales, with an August 2022 court ruling finding the fishery was in violation of the U.S. Endangered Species Act.
“This fishery has been under review since May 2024 due to a formal objection launched by three B.C.-based conservation organizations (Raincoast Conservation Foundation, Watershed Watch, and Skeena Wild) outlining several critical issues affecting its sustainability. The objection states that the MSC’s conformity assessment body (CAB) did not sufficiently consider scientific evidence,” it said. “Formal objections lodged against the MSC-certified Southeast Alaska fishery and ongoing lawsuits break Ocean Wise’s decision rules and are therefore not recommended.”
MSC appointed an independent adjudicator to review formal objections filed against the same fishery in April 2024.
Ocean Wise’s decision was influenced by its salmon advisory panel, launched in February 2024. The panel is composed of a group of experts on British Columbian salmon that are helping the organization identify sustainable salmon options on Canada’s West Coast. Ocean Wise said the panel and the group’s rapid assessment standard are helping it better understand annual fluctuations of B.C.’s salmon populations that can skew data used to make its recommendations of fisheries. The process was recently used by Ocean Wise to make 14 recommendations.
“Ocean Wise is in a unique position to leverage its rapid assessment standard and Salmon Advisory Panel to ensure responsible fisheries receive the recognition they deserve,” Ocean Wise Science Lead Samantha Renshaw said. “These new recommendations simplify the choice when purchasing salmon, empowering businesses, and consumers to support local, ocean-friendly fishers. In an especially complex case like B.C. salmon, this is even more important.”
- The U.S. Gulf of Mexico shrimp fishery has become the first shrimp fishery to attain Responsible Fisheries Management (RFM) certification.
The certification covers white, brown, and pink shrimp caught in the U.S. states of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida, as well as federal waters in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico.
The certification stems from multiple industry-led fishery improvement projects (FIPs) led by the American Shrimp Processors Association (ASPA) and supported over the past 15 years with the assistance of the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership, the Gulf of Mexico Shrimp Supply Chain Roundtable, the Audubon Nature Institute, and the Texas Sea Grant.
“We are proud to achieve RFM certification. It’s a positive reflection of our harvesters’ practices on the water and their work to ensure our shrimp is sustainably harvested. ASPA has long been confident in U.S. fishery management and practices. With RFM certification, we now have independent validation of that fact from a program recognized by the Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative (GSSI), enabling us to better meet our customer’s sourcing requirements,” ASPA Board President Trey Pearson said. “We are excited about the ability to highlight the U.S.A. origin with the RFM eco-label, something that matters not only to us but also to so many of our customers and consumers of Gulf Shrimp. At a time when domestic shrimp is only 6 to 8 percent of the total U.S. market share, being able to easily distinguish not only sustainable but also U.S. product through a verified, traceable, front-of-package label is a top priority for the Gulf shrimp industry.”
The RFM certification, owned by the Alaska-based Certified Seafood Collaborative, confirms the fishery meets standards for having a sound management system; science and stock assessment activities, following a precautionary approach; strong management measures, implementation, monitoring, and control; and minimization of impacts of the fishery on the ecosystem.
Other RFM-certified fisheries include the U.S. Pacific whiting fishery and all five salmon species commercially harvested in Alaska (king, sockeye, keta, coho, and pink).
“As the largest shrimp fishery in the U.S., it’s a testament to its sound fisheries management and commitment to the sustainability of their fishery,” CSC RFM Board Chair Mark Fina said.
- Kamaishi, Japan-based Izumisawa Suisan has become the first company to attain Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) certification for cherry salmon production.
Izumisawa Suisan collaborated with Kamaishi City and Iwate University to begin cherry salmon farming trials in November 2020, followed by coho trials and a full-scale business launch in 2023.
“This certification is trusted internationally, and we would like to utilize it in our future sales strategy,” Izumisawa Suisan President Hiroshi Izumisawa said in a press release. “Obtaining certification has been our goal since we started our aquaculture business. Through this certification, we hope to expand our sales channels, ensure a stable supply of raw materials, and work to improve the income and social status of our fishermen.”
Cherry salmon is named for its cherry-colored scales and the fact it is harvested during the cherry-blossom season in Japan. It “boasts a refined, light flesh color and delicate fat,” according to the company.
Izumisawa Suisan now has four 40-meter circular fish cages and has set the goal of producing 1,000 metric tons of cherry and coho salmon annually.\
- The Norwegian Society for The Conservation of Nature (Naturvernforbundet) is leading an effort to request the Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) and Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) programs rescind their certifications of salmon farms located in marine protected areas.
“BAP and ASC should update their farm standards to make industrial salmon farms operating within protected areas ineligible for certification. [And,] BAP and ASC should decertify all existing industrial salmon farms currently operating within protected areas,” it said in a petition sent to both organizations, signed by thousands of its supporters.
The NGO said it submitted responses during public comment periods recently held by both organizations as part of their standard review process for their certification schemes.
“Our view on fish farming is that it must not deteriorate the environment in the sea and fjord areas where it is taking place. We are deeply worried about the environmental situation around salmon farms both in Norway and other countries. Our conversations with Chilean NGOs highlight similar troubles being present in their aquaculture industry,” it said in its letters to both groups. “These are common-sense reforms. Most people would be shocked to learn that any industrial salmon farming is taking place inside protected areas. In fact, international recommendations from recognized entities such as the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) state that industrial activities should not exist in any category of marine protected area.”
Naturvernforbundet Researcher Per-Erik Schulze said the organizations should follow his organization’s request to ensure their certification standards are not endorsing the pollution of protected areas.
“Norway and Chile together account for about 75 percent of the world’s farmed salmon production. In Norway, we have been disappointed to see the ASC stamp of approval for salmon farms located in nature reserves,” he said. “With the landmark United Nations agreement to protect 30 percent of the planet by 2030, we must maintain the integrity of protected areas. We as consumers should refuse to buy salmon grown in protected areas. We hope the BAP and ASC agree.”
- The Global Seafood Alliance (GSA) recently conducted a survey of Japanese seafood consumers to better understand purchasing decisions surrounding its Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) label.
Of the 3,000 surveyed consumers – all between the ages of 16 and 65 and consumers of fish at least two to three times monthly – 69 percent said food safety was the most important factor in their seeking out responsibly-sourced seafood. Environmental sustainability ranked second, with 23.1 percent of respondents indicating it was the top factor influencing their purchasing decisions.
When asked which part of the aquaculture production chain was most important for conducting a third-party audit, 36.4 percent said that all parts of the production chain are important, followed by the farm at 28.1 percent. The survey found 36.4 percent of consumers believed all parts of the aquaculture production chain should receive a third-party audit.
GSA said the study found 15 percent of those surveyed had seen the BAP label before and 4.8 percent knew what it meant.
“The GSA has a focused initiative to increase the visibility of the BAP label in Japan, aligning with the rising consciousness around food safety and sustainability,” GSA Senior Director of Market Development Denise Gurshin said. “The recent survey revealed that nearly half of the respondents expressed willingness to preferentially purchase BAP-certified products, which speaks to the value of our certification program.”
