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Lisa Murkowski, United States Senator from Alaska. (Photo Credit: United States Congress)
New legislation restricts MSC certification use
UNITED STATES
Friday, September 20, 2013, 04:00 (GMT + 9)
A new legislation that has just been proposed by an American legislator intends to limit the influence of external certification firms regarding Alaska's sustainable seafood industry.
Senator Lisa Murkowski has introduced a new legislation, called Responsible Seafood Certification and Labeling Act, by which any US federal agencies are banned from using third-party non-governmental certification schemes at the time of labelling or considering any domestic catch as 'sustainable'.
In this regard, Murkowski remarked that: “It is bad federal policy to allow 3rd party certifiers, including foreign Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), to decide what seafood is allowed to be sold in National Parks, or procured by federal agencies. Not too long ago, wild Alaska salmon served as the flagship species for Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). Now MSC is disparaging the “sustainability” of Alaska salmon."
And she added: "MSC and NGOs like them have political agendas, lack transparency, and use their certification schemes to inappropriately influence federal and state fisheries management.”
The senator pointed out the need of this federal policy to protect Alaska seafood industry as well as the nation’s fishermen and coastal communities that depend on healthy and sustainable fisheries.
In her opinion, this is the right policy to ensure that fishermen and the coastal communities that depend on them are not disadvantaged by "the agenda of misguided NGOs."
The introduction of this legislation takes place after the chain Walmart adopted the policy of purchasing only seafood certified by MSC for its thousands of retail stores worldwide, and that Sodexo US announced that they would not buy wild Alaskan salmon because it is not certified as sustainable by the organization.
Related articles:
- Alaska's government in talks with Walmart over seafood certification
- 'Non-sustainable' Alaskan wild salmon rejected again
By Gabriela Raffaele
[email protected]
www.seafood.media
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