The West Coast Pacific whiting, or hake, fishery on Wednesday was awarded Marine Stewardship Council certification as a sustainable and well-managed fishery.
The Pacific whiting (Merluccius productus) mid-water trawl fishery is the West Coast’s largest fishery, extending 200 miles off Washington, Oregon and California and in Canada’s Exclusive Economic Zone off British Columbia. This year’s Pacific whiting quota is set at 135,939 metric tons in the United States and 48,061 metric tons in Canada.
“Today’s determination by the MSC is an important independent validation of how the Pacific hake fishery is managed responsibly by a progressive fishery management system,” said Jan Jacobs, Pacific Whiting Conservation Cooperative (PWCC) president. “This action provides assurance to consumers around the world that products supplied from the Pacific hake fishery are best choices for seafood.”
The PWCC and the Oregon Trawl Commission are the fishery’s U.S. MSC clients, while the Association of Pacific Hake Fishermen is the Canadian MSC client.
Pacific whiting is the 57th fishery worldwide to earn MSC certification. More than 150 fisheries are engaged in the MSC program, with more than 100 in full assessment and 40 to 50 in confidential pre-assessment. Worldwide, more than 2,500 seafood products bear the MSC eco-label.
