The Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation’s board of directors last week informed the Marine Stewardship Council that the group voted in favor of serving as client for the certification of Alaska salmon.
Alaska salmon, one of the first fisheries globally to earn MSC certification for sustainability, has been without a permanent client for more than a year. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game, the original fishery client in 2000, informed the London-based nonprofit in July 2008 that it could no longer continue in that role. ADF&G was the only government body serving as a client for any of the certified fisheries.
The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute voted provisionally last fall to assume the role, but shelved its plans in December when its board could not reach consensus on cost sharing. The Alaska salmon fishery was recertified in November of 2007, but its certification expires in 2012.
AFDF will immediately begin working with an independent certifier to conduct the required annual audit for the fishery. Successful completion of the audit will ensure an unbroken supply of MSC-certified Alaska salmon. AFDF will maintain the scope of the current certificate so that it will continue to cover all Alaska salmon fisheries and species.
AFDF, which currently serves as the client for the MSC-certified Alaska Pacific cod fishery, will establish a similar cost-sharing mechanism for use of the MSC certificate by members of the Alaska salmon industry. AFDF will pro-rate across participants joining the client group the costs associated with maintaining the Alaska salmon fishery certificate.
“The MSC very much welcomes AFDF’s decision to become the client for the Alaska salmon fishery,” said MSC Chief Executive Rupert Howes. “Markets globally will welcome this announcement and MSC looks forward to working with AFDF, ASMI, ADF&G and other partners involved in the Alaskan salmon fishery. We would also like to take this opportunity to thank ADF&G for their leadership in engaging with the MSC program in our early years. A bold move that led to Alaskan salmon being amongst the first few fisheries in the world to achieve MSC certification.”
There are more than 160 fisheries engaged in the MSC program with 63 certified and more than 100 under full assessment. Another 40 to 50 fisheries are in confidential pre-assessment. Worldwide, more than 3,800 seafood products, which can be traced back to the certified sustainable fisheries, bear the blue MSC eco-label.
