California has in several ways created an unfriendly environment for seafood companies in recent years, including its repeatedly unsuccessful bids to require methylmercury warning labels on tuna cans as per Proposition 65. And it still stands as the only state to forbid marketing of organic seafood, even if certain imported products bear international organic accreditation . This week, however, California’s political machine got one right for seafood.
A new law promoting sustainable seafood, authored by Assemblyman Bill Monning, passed this week with little fanfare. It cleared the way for the state’s Ocean Protection Council to develop standards for what it considers sustainable fishing and will allow the state’s best-managed fisheries to put an eco-label on its seafood products, similar to what the state’s enormous agriculture industry encourages for its farmers.
“When you give consumers a choice, whether it’s in the supermarket or a restaurant, people want to do the right thing,” Monning told the Santa Cruz Sentinel. “What this labeling will do is assist people in making the right decision.”
According to Zeke Grader, executive director of the San Francisco-based Pacific Coast Federation of Fishing Associations, the law will help some of the state’s smaller fisheries seek Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification. Responsible fisheries like spiny lobster, for example, wouldn’t otherwise have the financial resources to explore such certification and the global markets it may open, he said. PCFFA and the Monterey Bay Aquarium (MBA) helped write the law.
“I think certification is a good thing if it’s a valid program,” Grader told me on Tuesday. “MSC is probably the best of the bunch.”
The state won’t assume MSC client duties, said Grader, who said the law should help fishermen. The state’s commercial fisheries, he added, have long been hamstrung by an under-funded Department of Fish & Game, a group that’s been “beaten down over the years.” Criticism often begins with its salmon fisheries, which have been closed the past two years due to scant returns, a devastating blow to fishermen. The state’s seafood image has suffered.
Grader and other fishermen have also been critical of the MSC and the promises its blue eco-label represents partly because the certification process can be lengthy and cumbersome. Look no further than California’s Dungeness crab fishery, which began the 12-month assessment process back in 2005 and still awaits a decision.
The MBA deserves credit for guiding state leaders to adopt this program, which will be voluntary. It’s clear that the MBA’s influence goes beyond swaying consumer choices and into the political realm. Any state eco-label will be in accordance with Seafood Watch guidelines.
Whatever pushes sustainability into the public consciousness is a good thing. That it’s happening in California is encouraging.
Thank you,
James Wright
Associate Editor
SeaFood Business
