Alaska wild salmon. (Photo Credit: FIS/Sodexo)
'Non-sustainable' Alaskan wild salmon rejected again
UNITED STATES
Friday, August 23, 2013, 01:00 (GMT + 9)
Sodexo USA has refused to purchase Alaskan wild salmon because it is no longer certified as sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), bringing the subject to attention again.
Sodexo, a food service caterer contracts food service programmes to several federal agencies including the Department of Defense, will now buy MSC-certified seafood exclusively.
This means, that the Department of Defense of the United States, could find itself in the position of having to consume Russian salmon instead of national Alaskan salmon which is among the best in the world, according to some Alaskan producers.
US Senator Mark Beigch reacted quite strongly to the news and sent a letter to Sodexo's president asking him to reconsider including Alaskan salmon in their purchases.
“It’s ridiculous and insulting that the seafood being offered to our troops might come from Russia. Alaska wrote the book on sustainable fisheries and we don’t need outsiders to tell us how to manage our stocks,” Beigch remarked.
Alaskan fisheries have increasingly been favouring the Responsible Fishery Management certification system over the MSC label as most of them didn’t agree with the standards of the current MSC certification, explains the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI).
Michael Cerne, ASMI’s executive director, points out that the state’s main concern has always been on a sustainable environment.
"It's been frustrating, nobody is really arguing against the management of the fishery, everybody is realizing including the MSC that it's one of best managed fisheries in the world and the vast majority of customers are still continuing to buy it," Cerne remarked.
Sodexo follows suit after Wal-Mart refused any products (including wild Alaskan salmon) that do not have the MSC label, for similar reasons.
Related articles:
- National parks to review guidelines on Alaska salmon
- Wal-Mart asked to rethink salmon resolution
By Gabriela Raffaele
[email protected]
www.seafood.media
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