SEAFOOD.COM NEWS by John Sackton — March 19, 2014 — MAFAC – The Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee for the Dept. of Commerce, made a presentation to the regional fisheries management councils at their meeting last month outlining their recommendation for a NOAA sustainable fisheries label.
The key point is to certify and trace those fisheries which comply with US laws, and are neither overfished or experiencing overfishing. Such fisheries are sustainable within the meaning that a) they are conservatively managed at or below maximum sustainable yield, b) they comply with US marine habit and ecosystem protections, and c) the process of setting their TAC's and responding to new information is public, open and transparent, with full opportunity for stakeholder engagement.
MAFAC recognizes that NOAA is wading into an area where many such certifications exist, for different purposes.
The MAFAC was asked to study the feasiblity of a certification for those fisheries that are sustainable due to their compliance with US laws.
Their recommendations were:
1. The program would be a fee for service program, aimed at a business to business certification. It would use existing resources including NOAA's fishwatch, and the seafood inspection service. Finally, the program would recognize where there were limits on its scope.
2. The annual cost would be up to $1.2 million, paid through user fees, and the startup cost would be between $100,000 and $500,000. For users, the cost of the program would be around $1000 per year.
Target fisheries would include wild caught US seafood, landed in US ports in accordance with Magnuson and other laws.
The fishery stock status would have to be known, and the fishery could not be overfished nor have overfishing occuring.
Full traceability would be required through chain of custody programs, provided by third parties.
NOAA seafood safety inspection would serve as an auditor to evaluate the adaquacy of traceability, and NOAA would develop other policies or rules for a seafood inspection audit.
The purpose of the program would be to provide US seafood sellers with a verification system, including registration on fish watch, that customers could use to verify that the product is sustainably caught under US laws and management programs and is fuly traceable, and subject to external audits.
MAFAC suggests that companies using the scheme would be registered and have certificates listed on www.Fishwatch.gov.
This story originally appeared on Seafood.com, a subscription site. It is reprinted with permission.