The newly certified fisheries are the Russian Ozernaya River sockeye salmon fishery and the NE Sakhalin Island pink salmon fishery which increased the supply of MSC certified salmon available annually to the global market.
The United States east coast North Atlantic fishery for spiny dogfish was certified, and in Mexico the Sian Kaan and Banco Chinchorro spiny lobster fishery earned MSC certification. In Canada, the Clearwater Seafoods Banquereau and Grand Bank Arctic surf clam fishery, Scotian Shelf snow crab trap fishery, and Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence snow crab trap fishery were certified bringing the total number of Canadian MSC certified fisheries to 20.
Sustainable Swordfish LLC, a group involved with about two-thirds of the US east coast swordfish landings, entered the SSLLC US North Atlantic swordfish longline fishery into full assessment against the MSC fishery standard. This assessment of the swordfish fishery against the MSC standard is in parallel with a separate full assessment underway for the North Atlantic areas by Day Boat Seafoods that is already certified for the Southeast US Atlantic fishery off Florida. The les-de-la-Madeleine lobster baited trap fishery in the Gulf of St. Lawrence on the east coast of Canada also entered full assessment.
The Alaska salmon fishery re-entered assessment for a third, five-year MSC certification and, if successful, Alaska salmon products from the client group coordinated through the Purse Seine Vessels Owners Association (PSVOA) would be eligible to continue to use the MSC ecolabel. Two Canadian fisheries, Gulf of St. Lawrence northern shrimp and Gulf of St. Lawrence Northern shrimp trawl fishery Esquiman Channel, also entered assessment for re-certification.
Americas Region MSC Certified Fisheries Update
GLOBAL - Since June 1, 2012 seven fisheries have become MSC certified including two Russian salmon fisheries, the first two North American snow crab fisheries, and the fourth Mexican fishery.
by Lucy Towers
