|
Acadian redfish school. (Photo: DFO/R. Larocque)
First Canadian redfish fishery achieves MSC certification
(CANADA, 5/24/2017)
Acadian redfish (Sebastes fasciatus) fishery becomes the first redfish fishery in Canada to meet the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) sustainability standard.
With this achievement, this species, also known as Atlantic redfish or ocean perch, caught in Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) Division 3LN, can now be sold as MSC certified by companies with MSC Chain of Custody certificates.
Straddling Canadian and international waters, 3LN redfish has a colourful history dotted by interaction with Soviet, Cuban, South Korean, Portuguese and Spanish fleets.
Overfishing in the late 1980s caused depletion that led to a moratorium being declared on directed fishing in 1998. After years of careful management, the stock recovered and the fishery was re-opened in 2010.
Managed by the NAFO, a cautious total allowable catch (TAC) is established through a well tested harvest control rule that has been peer-reviewed by scientists from NAFO-member countries.
This management approach has proven effective at continuing stock growth and is expected to continue to guide this fishery through long-term sustainability.
Canada holds 42.6 per cent share of the TAC, the majority of which is caught by Ocean Choice International vessels fishing on the Grand Banks of Newfoundland.
“This certificate is a demonstration of the rigour applied to the management of the Canadian redfish fishery in 3LN,” pointed out Bruce Chapman, President of Groundfish Enterprise Allocation Council (GEAC), the industry association representing the fishery client group.
Redfish are long-lived species with unique reproductive characteristics that demand strong management measures to ensure protection of the stocks.
To achieve MSC certification, the 3LN redfish fishery demonstrated it meets all three MSC Principles through a healthy target stock, very low by-catch and high unlikelihood of disrupting ecosystem structure and function, and effective management.
Beyond TAC and individual country quotas, other conservation measures for redfish include gear specifications, restrictions on areas and times of fishing and protection of sensitive areas.
The rigorous 24-month assessment against the MSC standard was undertaken by independent certifier SAI Global Services.
[email protected]
www.seafood.media
Information of the company:
|
Address:
|
Marine House, 1 Snow Hill
|
|
City:
|
London
|
|
State/ZIP:
|
England (EC1A 2DH)
|
|
Country:
|
United Kingdom
|
|
Phone:
|
+44 (0)20 7246 8900
|
|
Fax:
|
+44 (0)20 7246 8901
|
|
E-Mail:
|
[email protected]
|
|
Skype:
|
https://www.instagram.com/mscecolabel/
|
More about: 
|
|
|
|
Print
