Saving Seafood

Friend of the Sea to require satellite monitoring of certified fishing fleets

December 7, 2021 โ€” The Friend of the Sea (FOS) sustainability-focused certification program is implementing a requirement of 24/7 satellite monitoring of its certified fishing fleets.

The addition of the monitoring program is intended to increase consumer confidence in the sustainability of FOS products and provide stronger protection to associated fish stocks, the group said in a press release. The new Sea Satellite Monitoring Program (SMP) will allow constant monitoring for all 2,000 Friends of the Sea certified fishing vessels to ensure compliance with fishing seasons, authorized fishing areas, transshipment at sea, social accountability, and other certification obligations. The SMP monitoring includes onboard CCTVS, drones, and unannounced โ€œaugmented realityโ€ audits.

Read the full story at SeafoodSource

MASSACHUSETTS: School district signs up for local seafood

July 14, 2015 โ€” CHICOPEE, Mass. (AP) โ€” A Massachusetts public school system is the first school district to sign on to a Maine science instituteโ€™s seafood certification system.

A spokesman for Gulf of Maine Research Institute in Portland, Maine, announced the partnership with the Chicopee district on Tuesday. The institute says the agreement means the districtโ€™s 7,800 students will be able to eat seafood that is responsibly harvested and traceable to the Gulf of Maine.

Chicopee sustainability coordinator Madison Walker says the move supports the regionโ€™s food economy. She says it will also help teach students about the fishing industry and marine ecosystems.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at the Boston Herald