In light of new research, an independent adjudicator is requesting that third-party certifier Moody Marine reconsider its evaluation of Aker BioMarine’s Antarctic krill fishery as part of the Marine Stewardship Council certification process.
Eldon V.C. Greenberg’s request comes after a 13-month scientific assessment of the fishery and a four-month review of an objection to Moody Marine’s finding that the fishery meets the MSC standard. Greenberg said it was a “serious procedural error” for the certifier not to have taken into account a risk assessment by Watters, et al, published near the end of the assessment process.
In accordance with the MSC objectives procedure, the matter is now remanded to Moody Marine to consider the Watters assessment and its relationship to the scoring of the five performance indicators included in the objection. The certifier has 10 days to respond.
The objection was originally filed in December 2009 by the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition during the formal objections period of the assessment. The opportunity to object is part of the standard process for every fishery assessment.
The purpose of the objections process is not to assess the fishery against MSC standard again, but to provide for an additional independent, structured review of contested certifier decisions and to ensure that decisions on certification meet the MSC fishery standard.
