April 1, 2014 — At the time, National Fisheries Institute President John Connelly noted that NOAA's track record for managing fisheries is "generally excellent." He and other advocates painted NOAA as a far better body than activist NGOs — they didn't mention the MSC by name, but we know that's who they meant — to make determinations on sustainability.
What is not a prank is news reported yesterday here in the United States that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is considering setting up its own sustainability eco-label, reminiscent of those issued by groups such as the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), Friend of the Sea and the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI).
We don't know much about what NOAA has planned at this stage. The interview Sam Rauch, NOAA's fisheries deputy administrator, conducted with our writer Christine Blank read like a politician forming an exploratory committee to consider running for office. NOAA's request for comments, including an email address, suggests the administration is testing the waters, so to speak, before doing anything yet.
What Rauch has disclosed about NOAA's plans suggests that this is not another attempt to educate consumers; rather, it seems this is more of a labeling system for large corporate buyers such as supermarkets and restaurants.
Read the full opinion piece at Seafood Source