The Marine Stewardship Council yesterday announced that two Russian pollock fisheries have entered the full assessment phase for certification to the London-based nonprofit's global standard for sustainable and well-managed fisheries.
The international certification and eco-labeling program will assess two separate pollock fisheries represented by the Russian Pollock Association: the Western Bering Sea and the Sea of Okhotsk. The assessment will evaluate the stock status of Russian pollock (Theragra chalcogramma), the impacts the fisheries have on the marine ecosystem and the management system overseeing the fisheries.
"We are proud that the Russian Pollock Association is one of the first Russian fisheries to enter assessment for certification to the MSC standard," says German Zverev, president of the Russian Pollock Association. "We pay careful attention to conserving the pollock stock as a key sea resource in the Russian Far East seas and to preserving the eco-system of the Sea of Okhotsk and the Bering Sea. Meeting the MSC standard is an excellent way to demonstrate seafood sustainability to consumers around the world, and for this reason we have chosen to aim for MSC certification."
Association members catch approximately 54 percent of the Western Bering Sea pollock quota and 59 percent of the total quota for the Sea of Okhotsk, according to the MSC. These quota holdings represent a total potential catch of 700,000 metric tons this year.
"Pollock is an immensely important species of fish in the global seafood market," says Jim Humphreys, fisheries director for MSC. "We welcome the two Russian Pollock Association fisheries into the MSC program and appreciate their goal of achieving MSC's rigorous sustainability certification."
Caught by mid-water trawl, Russian pollock is used for a number of seafood products around the world, including pollock roe, which is principally exported to the Japanese and Southeast Asian markets. Pollock fillets and surimi paste from these two fisheries supply Russian, Asian and European markets.
Independent third-party certifier TAVEL Certification will conduct both assessments concurrently and estimates that they will take up to two and a half years to complete.
In other MSC news, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines yesterday announced last weekend it launched a pilot study serving Marine Stewardship Council-certified sustainable fish on board its planes. Passengers flying world business class can now choose a South African hake fillet from the menu.
The airline's menu features the MSC logo and the program will run from now through November on intercontinental flights departing from Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
"This pilot program represents a pioneering step by KLM and demonstrates KLM's commitment to sustainable sourcing," says Chris Ninnes, MSC deputy chief executive. "While consumers can now find the MSC eco-label on seafood in shops and restaurants in 38 countries around the world, this is the first time an airline has offered MSC fish to its passengers."
