Russian pollock group, WWF call for traceability

After negotiations held in Moscow in late February, the Russian Pollock Catchers Association (PCA) and the World Wildlife Fund are calling for improvement in traceability as part of the Russian fleet’s Marine Stewardship Council assessment.

The PCA and WWF pointed to the lack of traceability as resulting in a window of vulnerability for illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing. The groups also said it is vital for Russia to improve the existing assessment system of catch, discards and bycatch.

The groups declared targeted action is needed on the part of fishermen and from the control and monitoring bodies and the scientific and expert community to eliminate the existing shortcomings in management and monitoring.

The parties consider it necessary to develop and adopt a number of interrelated measures, including:

•    Organizing a joint study on the viability of having observers on vessels and develop a training program

•    A national plan to combat IUU fishing

•    Participating in the examination of draft agreements between the Russian Federation and Japan and the Republic of China

•    Preparing for a broad discussion of fishing community proposals for the establishment of a fund to finance improvement of monitoring and implementation of best practices

•    Implementing an ecosystem approach to fisheries management and looking at new systems of satellite surveillance

•    Undertaking joint action to research and develop harmonized methodology for assessing IUU fishing

•    Jointly participating in the development of legal acts, the development and establishment of a fisheries protected area in western Kamchatka

•    Jointly organizing and conducting research on stocks and the power of the fishing fleet in the Far Eastern seas

The Alaskan pollock fishery in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the Russian Federation and the EEZ of the United States is the second largest fishery in the world, and the largest Russian fishery. In 2008, the Russian Alaska pollock fishery was successfully pre-assessed by MSC sustainability standards and the process of full assessment has been going on since 2009.

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