USA: Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) announced the certification of four fisheries completed recently, and one in progress, in accordance with the Marine Stewardship Council’s (MSC) international standards for responsible fishery management.

They include:

• The Atlantic deep-sea red crab fishery, the first MSC certified fishery on the east coast of the US
• The Iturup Island pink salmon and chum salmon fisheries, the first two Russian-managed MSC fisheries
• The Canada Pacific halibut fishery, the first in British Columbia to achieve the MSC certification
• The Annette Islands Reserve (AIR) salmon fishery in Alaska is the first indigenous peoples-managed fishery to seek MSC certification 
  

For each client, SCS empanelled a multidisciplinary team of specialists to audit fishery management practices against MSC principles and criteria. During the assessment, the team analysed written materials, conducted interviews with stakeholders and conducted field audits to determine:  

1) the status of the fish stock

2) the impact of fishing on the marine ecosystem and

3) the effectiveness of the management system overseeing the fishery.   

“The efforts undertaken by these certified fisheries provide important precedents for others to follow,” said Sabine Daume, PhD., MSC Manager at Scientific Certification Systems.

To demonstrate ongoing compliance with the MSC standard and to foster an environment of continuous improvement, awards of certification typically include specific management tasks to further strengthen the fishery management system.