SEAFOOD.COM NEWS by John Sackton Sept 18, 2013 — The biggest group of MSC client fisheries had demanded that MSC immediately remove an objectionable video attacking their fisheries from youtube and the Loblaw's facebook page. The group sent the letter below to Rupert Howes yesterday. The video has been removed from youtube, but is still available on the Loblaws page.
A second group of Alaskan fisheries, represented by the Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation, also sent a letter to the MSC as well. This incident will further the anger that many in the Alaskan industry remaining MSC certified fisheries feel towards the dishonesty of the organization.
The first letter is from the ASF, the second from the Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation.
Dear Rupert Howes:
As you know, the Association of Sustainable Fisheries (ASF) represents Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified and in assessment fisheries. Its members account for a significant percentage of the tonnage and value of fisheries in the MSC process.
Our members are dismayed that MSC would lend its name to the silly, offensive video produced by WWF Canada for Loblaw. A VP of WWF Canada has told one of our members that it was a Loblaw initiative in partnership with WWF and MSC.
The problem should have been obvious to anyone in MSC. To consumers, it sends the message that only pole and line fisheries are acceptable while demonizing the mobile gear used by many of your certified fisheries. Meanwhile the farming analogy is just plain dishonest. As Ray Hilborn – and even Oceana’s Andy Sharpless – have pointed out farming does precisely what the video claims it doesn’t. It removes biodiversity on a grand scale in favour of crops and animals.
My own fishery, where costs for MSC certification of three BC salmon species have hit almost C$1 million, finds the video with its vaguely West Coast reference to salmon plain insulting since it implies that the purse seines used to catch the majority of that salmon are the equivalent of clear cutting rather than a selective, sustainable means to put food on the tables in Canada and around the world. Our other members are equally exasperated and angry.
We thought the MSC might have learnt something from the rather similar Stinky Fish fiasco. But apparently not.
We ask that you insist that Loblaw and WWF Canada remove the video from You Tube and the Loblaw Facebook page and that you, as the MSC CEO, disown such a tiresomely stupid exercise.
Yours sincerely,
Christina Burridge,
ASSOCIATION OF SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES
Letter to MSC from Alaska Clients:
Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation, the MSC client group for the BSAI and GOA Pacific Cod fisheries , is outraged at the video in the link below , which was apparently produced by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
We believe that the MSC owes AFDF and other MSC fishery clients an apology, as well as a full explanation of how the MSC logo was included in this video, and what action you are taking with WWF to ensure it never happens again. When WWF implemented its "Stinky Fish" campaign a few years ago, we were assured by MSC that WWF had hijacked the MSC logo for an unauthorized purpose . We were also told, by you personally , that it would not happen again.
Either MSC is party to this misguided and vindictive assault on certified gear groups, or you have allowed your logo to be used without your permission by WWF for a campaign that damages both certified and non-certified fisheries. We hope you will take whatever action is necessary to see that this video is withdrawn by WWF , and at the very least, you prohibit them from further using the MSC logo in this video. Finally, we strongly encourage you to publicly disavow any association with the video .
AFDF began work on MSC certification for the Alaskan P cod fishery in January 2006, and completed the certification in January 2010, after considerable expense. We signed up for the certification process because we wanted to feature the sustainability of our fishery management , as well as the four gear types that are used to harvest cod. This video shows a complete absence of knowledge of the fishery or the industry. It also shows some management issues on the part of MSC, particularly after the Stinky Fish and Scarlet Letter debacles.
This video comes at a time when all the groundfish fisheries in Alaska are looking at the cost/benefit ratio of MSC certification versus other sustainability certifications.
AFDF is one of the only two remaining fishery development foundations authorized by the Magnuson Act in 1976, and has been conducting fishery and seafood research , and product development for 36 years ….. and represents not only all of the participants in the Pacific cod fishery off the coast of Alaska , but a large cross section of participants in most U.S. ground fish fisheries off of Alaska. Thank you for your attention to this matter , we are awaiting your response.
All 13 Board members , representing primary processors, large and small, support sector companies and the fishing communities of Alask a agree that this is an assault on the industry .
James Browning Executive Director
Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation
This story originally appeared on Seafood.com, a subscription site. It is reprinted with permission.