The Alaska Seafood Cooperative has entered two new flatfish fisheries into assessment under the Alaska Responsible Fisheries Management (RFM) process.
The fisheries up for assessment include the Aleutian Islands and Bering Sea fishery, which consists of Atka mackerel, Pacific ocean perch, and northern rockfish, and the Gulf of Alaska fishery, which consists of Pacific ocean perch, northern rockfish, and dusky rockfish.
The certification body DNV GL will conduct the assessment of the two Alaskan fisheries. While the assessment process is ongoing, product harvested from this fishery after June, the date the assessment process started, will be eligible to carry the label.
“The fact that our industry and customers will be able to use a certified claim on fish that was caught from [17 June, 2019] forward is of great benefit to our industry and customers,” said Mark Fina, of United States Seafood, LLC, who also serves as a representative for the Alaska Seafood Cooperative. “Of course, this is dependent on the fishery achieving official certification and that the Chain of Custody requirements are satisfied.”
A final certification decision is expected in December. More information about the assessment process can be found at: https://www.alaskaseafood.org/alaska-rockfish-and-atka-mackerel/
Alaska RFM is a voluntary and accredited assessment of whether a fishery meets criteria to be certified as having responsible fisheries management.
The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) announced a new RFM logo will be launched in late 2019 or early 2020. The new logo is intended to increase brand awareness for the program and open the door for collaboration with other RFM-based certification programs.
