The following was released by the Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers:
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM -‐ April 23, 2012 — From the floor of the 2012 European Seafood Exposition, the Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers and the Alaska Crab Coalition join the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute in welcoming the news that the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands crab fishery has been
certified to the standards set forth in the United Nations FAO-‐Based Certification Model for Responsible Fisheries Management. Alaskan crab will now stand alongside Alaska salmon, halibut, black cod, and pollock, each of whom has previously been certified by the independent, third-‐party organization Global Trust as adhering to the FAO standards.
While today’s announcement is certainly welcomed by the Alaskan crab industry, sustainability is not a concept we are just now embracing. Alaskan fisheries have been at the forefront of sustainable fisheries management since it was mandated in the State Constitution over 50 years ago. Longtime Bering Sea crab fisherman Kale Garcia, in accepting the certification, noted “sustainability is not new to Alaskan Bering Sea crabbers and our families. We support it. We have lived it for many years under Alaska’s cutting-‐edge management and we are the ones who pay the direct cost when quota reductions are necessary to ensure the health of the resource. We are also the ones who gain long term by having a renewable resource that will provide a livelihood for generations. The FAO sustainability certificate does not change anything in practice or management, but it does help tell the world what we in Alaska already know about sustainability. Now our buyers in the marketplace can have one more layer of comfort knowing the Alaskan crab they are buying is from a sustainable, well-‐managed source.”
Alaskan crab is managed jointly by the Alaska Department of Fish & Game and the National Marine Fisheries Service. Annual quotas are set very conservatively and reflect the need to manage the fishery for long term sustainability, rather than short term gain. Today’s modern crab gear incorporates the latest in conservation technology. And crab fishermen coordinate their harvest activities to make sure the crab is harvested at the peak of its quality and with minimal environmental impact! This is what sets Alaskan crab apart from other crab fisheries around the world. All Alaskans can take comfort in knowing that their resources are being managed with future generations in mind. And crab lovers everywhere can take comfort in knowing that genuine, certified Alaskan crab will be there for them to enjoy now and into the future.