MSC offers to mediate Alaska salmon dispute

The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) is offering to mediate a stalled negotiation between the Alaska Salmon Processors Association (ASPA) and a group of Alaska-based salmon processors looking to re-join ASPA’s certificate with the MSC.

The MSC asked ASPA and the processors “to continue dialogue” on cost-sharing, and the MSC has volunteered to “identify a suitable mediator for negotiations and to coordinate and pay for this facilitation service.”

Last week, ASPA announced it was declining to allow the eight companies – Trident Seafood, Peter Pan Seafoods, Icicle Seafoods, Ocean Beauty Seafoods, Kwik’pak Fisheries, North Pacific Seafoods, Alaska General Seafoods and Leader Creek Fisheries – to rejoin the certificate. In its announcement, ASPA said it did not believe the processors, which withdrew from the MSC program in 2012, were truly committed to the MSC for the long term.

The decision prompted the processors to collectively appeal to the MSC’s board of trustees for assistance and/or intervention. Trident’s Stefanie Moreland, the unofficial spokesman for the processors, said they had fulfilled MSC’s requirements for reapplication.

In its statement, the MSC reiterated its requirements:

  • Prepare and publish a statement of their understanding and willingness for reasonable certificate sharing arrangements.
  • Inform other eligible fishers and/or other entities of the public statement and of the opportunity to share the certificate during relevant interactions with the eligible fishers and other entities as is practicable. (MSC Fisheries Certification Requirements, Version 2.0, paragraph 7.4.12.2)

Moreland has said the processors have followed these requirements, and offered to negotiate a cost-sharing arrangement with ASPA as well. The MSC did not issue a judgment on this, but said, “The MSC wishes to maximize the use of existing certificates by eligible companies, and minimize the number of overlapping certificates.” Further, the MSC noted “the cost-sharing arrangement for certificate sharing is non-mandatory and requires negotiation and agreement between the certificate holder and applicant companies.”

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