August 29, 2013 — Copper River Seafoods, the Alaska-owned seafood manufacturer and marketer with roots in Cordova, will withdraw support of a London-based certification program in 2014, after learning Prince William Sound is still adrift in the assessment process.
"Copper River Seafoods believes in choice, but cannot support a certification model that fails to certify all fisheries within a state that is a global model for sustainable fisheries management," the company said in a statement released Aug. 28.
Company officials cited the Alaska Salmon Fishery public comment draft report from the Marine Stewardship Council as a reason for its decision. The report highlights state of Alaska fisheries management practices, including long-term data collection, focus on salmon escapement, and the knowledge and experience of staff of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. "Unfortunately, the report passes only 13 of the 14 Alaskan fishing areas, leaving Prince William Sound in assessment until additional information is gathered," the company said.
"Therefore, Copper River Seafoods plans to withdraw support for the MSC in 2014. If the MSC chooses to certify all of Alaska's salmon fisheries, Copper River Seafoods will reassess whether MSC can again be a viable option for customers."
Copper River Seafoods is also certified under the United Nations' Food and Agriculture-based Responsible Fisheries Management certification program sponsored through the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute, as are more than 40 other seafood entities.
Copper River Seafoods has until now supported both the MSC and the FAO-based RFM models at the request of customers whose corporate sustainability policies required third-party assurance that Alaska's fisheries were responsibly managed. Supporting both models and advocating for choice has always been important to Copper River Seafoods, so no single certification would have control in the marketplace, company officials said.
Alaska's fisheries were among the first, in fact, to be certified by MSC. The Alaska Constitution since 1959 has mandated sustainability in fisheries.
Read the full story at The Cordova Times