Saving Seafood

The Big Impact of Small Fisheries Around the World

March 18, 2023 — Big, industrial vessels operating in the oceans usually come to mind when thinking about commercial fishing. But in coastal and inland communities around the world, relatively smaller-scale fishing is a major source of food, nutrition and income for a growing population.

Despite the outsized role of these small-scale fisheries, their value is often poorly measured and ignored in policy and management decisions. A forthcoming report aims to change that, drawing on the expertise of hundreds of researchers, consultants and government staff from around the world—including Duke scholars and students.

Years in the making, Illuminating Hidden Harvests: The contributions of small-scale fisheries to sustainable development details the multifaceted contributions of small-scale fisheries. The report culminates a collaborative research effort led by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Duke University and WorldFish to better inform governance of these critical resources.

“This report provides perhaps the clearest picture to date of the global importance of small-scale fisheries to sustainable development,” said John Virdin, director of the Ocean and Coastal Policy Program at the Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability and assistant professor of the practice at the Nicholas School of the Environment. “The data and recommendations in this report can support policy making at all levels and, we hope, empower fishing communities and their advocates to push for productive, sustainable and equitable small-scale fisheries.”

Read the full article at Duke Today

MSC aims for balance between rigor, accessibility with new standard

June 30, 2022 — The Marine Stewardship Council’s newest fisheries standard has been released – and according to MSC Fisheries Standard Director Ernesto Jardim, the new edition has continued the organization’s commitment to driving fishery sustainability.

The new standards were unanimously approved by MSC’s board of trustees on 24 June, 2022. The organization hailed the new standard as a “major achievement” after the four-year review process received the input of over 1,000 stakeholders in the industry.

Read the full story at SeafoodSource

 

MSC’s new fisheries standard unanimously approved by trustees

June 24, 2022 — After four years of input from over 1,000 stakeholders, the Marine Stewardship Council’s fisheries standard review process has finally concluded.

The MSC announced on 24 June its board of trustees unanimously approved the new version of the fisheries standard, which it has hailed as a “major achievement.” The new standard includes a new approach to how the MSC will manage its endangered, threatened, or protected (ETP) species, standards on shark-finning, new standards on how fisheries manage unwanted catch, and more.

Read the full story at SeafoodSource

 

Array of NGOs claim proposed MSC standards would “tarnish” its reputation

June 20, 2022 — A cadre of international NGOs focused on environmental conservation have written a letter to the Marine Stewardship Council claiming its proposed new standards – the product of MSC’s fisheries standard review begun in 2018 – would “tarnish” its reputation.

The letter was sent by the WWF, The Pew Charitable Trusts, Birdlife Marine Programme, The Nature Conservancy, Ecology Action Centre, Earthworm Foundation, IPNLF, and the Sharkproject. According to the NGOs, the latest fisheries standard proposed by the MSC has “significant weaknesses.”

Read the full story at SeafoodSource

 

US consumers increasingly putting health and environment first

June 13, 2022 — The following was released by the Marine Stewardship Council:

New figures released today suggest that US consumers are increasingly supporting the health of the ocean when deciding which fish and krill oil supplements to buy, according to new data shared by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), the international non-profit responsible for the world’s most widely used sustainable seafood ecolabel.

Figures highlighted by the MSC show that the number of fish oil supplements carrying the MSC blue fish label has grown by 44% in the US during the last five years, from 132 to 191. In the last year alone, consumers bought more than 8.5 million bottles and packets of MSC-certified fish oil supplements in the US. For products to carry the MSC blue fish label, every company in the supply chain must have a valid MSC Chain of Custody certificate and each product must be reviewed and approved

According to GOED, the Global Organization of EPA and DHA Omega-3s, a trade group that includes companies all along the supplement channel, from fisheries to finished products, the 2021 US EPA and DHA omega-3 supplement market reached $1.35 billion in value. GOED also projects the US omega-3 supplement market to grow by 3.8% by 2023[1]. Many EPA and DHA omega-3 fisheries are MSC-certified, are pursuing MSC certification, or are covered by specialized national or regional monitoring bodies.

Krill continues to be the most popular species used in MSC-certified sustainable omega 3 supplements, such as Epion Brands’ Kori Pure Antarctic Krill Oil offering MSC certified krill oil supplements. Other newly launched supplements are helping to diversify the range of sustainable products on the market. Examples include Natural Force Pure Omega-3 liquid, which sources its fish oil from the MSC-certified Menhaden fishery[2], and Garden of Life’s Dr Formulated Prenatal Multi and DHA, the first MSC-certified supplement for pregnant women. Pet owners can also opt for MSC-certified fish oils for pets, including Dr Mercola’s Krill oil for cats and dogs, Mud Bay Salmon and Pollock Oil and Vital Pet Life Salmon oil.

Fish oil can be obtained from two sources: 1) small pelagics — small fish such as herring, sardine, and menhaden[3] — can be processed into fish oil, and 2) trimmings or by-products of a species caught for human consumption, such as the liver, heads, and fins of pollock, cod or salmon. The latter process helps reduce waste by ensuring the whole fish is used.

Trimmings from MSC-certified salmon fisheries in Alaska, for instance, are used to produce Steward Supplements and Vital Choice salmon fish oils. While the skin of MSC-certified North Atlantic cod is used to make Dr Mercola’s Marine Collagen pills.

The demand for fish oils, set to grow by 6% by 2026, will increase pressure on fish stocks, especially small pelagic fish stocks, 46% of which are already currently overfished[4]. Ensuring these stocks are managed sustainably is imperative. The growth in the number of consumers choosing fish oil produced from  sustainable fisheries[5] is helping to turn the tide, in-part, by driving a rapid growth in the number of MSC-certified small pelagic and reduction fisheries[6]. In 2022, landings from small pelagic species engaged in the MSC program totalled over 4.2 million tons, representing around 15% of small pelagic landings worldwide, up from 8% of small pelagic landings in 2016.

“Small pelagic fisheries, those that are often used to produce fish oils, play a critical role in the marine ecosystem,” said Erika Feller, regional director, Americas at the Marine Stewardship Council. “Small pelagic species, such as krill, sardine and menhaden are at the base of marine food chains because they are also food for many other marine species. Overfishing these species could have a significant negative impact on delicate marine ecosystems, which is why it’s so important for consumers to choose sustainable fish oil products produced from MSC-certified fisheries. MSC certified fisheries take an extremely cautious approach in setting catch limits for low trophic species — or species low in the marine food chain that play a key role in the ecosystem such as small pelagics — harvesting fish at a more conservative rate compared to other species. This ensures stocks remain abundant and helps to protect seafood supplies and the ocean ecosystem.”

Chris Gearheart, director of growth and engagement at GOED, said “GOED is proud of our member companies’ commitment to the sustainable use of marine resources and public health. MSC certification is an excellent path for companies who source omega-3s from the ocean and want to improve fisheries management.”

The increasing demand for fish oil for human consumption has had a dramatic impact on the growth of MSC-certified fish oil products globally. In 2008, only four MSC-labelled fish oil supplements were available worldwide. This has grown to more than 500 MSC labelled products in 2021. Globally more than 20.5 million bottles or packets of MSC-certified sustainably sourced fish oils were bought by consumers — up by 75% or nearly 12 million bottles and packets just three years ago.

“We can all can contribute to a healthier planet by buying fish oil products with the MSC blue fish label, and now is an important time as ever to make choosing more sustainable options even easier for consumers,” continued Feller.

 

Walton Family Foundation poll finds Americans want sustainable seafood

June 7, 2022 — A new poll commissioned by the Walton Family Foundation has found that a majority of Americans want assurances that the seafood they’re eating is sustainable.

The poll, performed by Morning Consult, surveyed 2,210 adults nationally and found that consumers felt the sourcing and supply chain of meats and seafoods is important. According to the survey, 72 percent of consumers support increasing the traceability of seafood, and sustainability was the second-most important factor in purchasing seafood – behind only price.

Read the full story at SeafoodSource

 

MSC: Sustainable fishing and ocean conservation receives close to $1 million funding boost from sustainable seafood ecolabel

April 20, 2022 — The following was released by the Marine Stewardship Council:

Satellite tagging stingrays, translocating sea urchins and developing deep-sea cameras are among the 22 projects and fisheries to have been awarded funding by the internationally recognised sustainable seafood certification and ecolabelling program, the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) announced today. 

 Now in its third year, the MSC’s Ocean Stewardship Fund (OSF) redirects 5% of its annual royalties from the sales of MSC certified sustainable seafood to accelerate the sustainability of fisheries globally.

 The fund is also expanding in scope and reach this year, as it opens up to third-party donations from funders.   

Amid global concerns about the depletion of ocean biodiversity, this year’s grants focus in part, on driving improvements that better protect endangered, threatened, or protected species or vulnerable marine ecosystems – with projects in Argentina, Greenland, Australia, the United Kingdom, and France. 

A total of US$936,000 in the form of 22 grants ranging from $6,500 to $68,000 each, are awarded to fisheries, scientists, NGOs and students from 12 countries to aid international efforts in marine conservation and sustainable fishing.

 At least half of the grants ($459,000) are supporting fisheries in developing economies that are transitioning to sustainable practices, including Indonesia, Mexico and India.   

Harnessing satellite tagging technology in the Mediterranean, the MSC certified SATHOAN artisanal bluefin tuna fishery will use the funding to understand better how stingray populations may be affected by fishing activity. The fishery releases any stingrays accidentally caught on longlines back into the ocean but needs more data to understand how the population is impacted long-term.  

Automated, illuminated, and underwater camera monitoring systems are being designed with funding received by the Western Australian government. The cameras will be used to map overlaps between the MSC certified West Coast crab fishery and remote deep-sea habitats. The unique system will be designed to withstand high pressure down to 1,000 metres deployment to collect habitat data which will be used to apply relevant management measures. 

Another grant will also support an investigation into whether translocating red sea urchins to areas with higher densities of kelp will help stocks to recover. Local marine heatwaves, resulting in a decline in kelp forests which the urchins rely on for food, alongside overfishing have led to a localised decline in sea urchin populations.

The research, led by Autonomous University of Baja California (UABC) in Mexico hopes to understand whether translocations are improving sea urchin condition or in fact, doing more damage than good to the wider ecosystem. Fishers hope that by moving the urchins to an area with an abundance of algae to eat, the population may improve. 

Rupert Howes, Chief Executive of the Marine Stewardship Council said:

“Congratulations to all of the Ocean Stewardship Fund awardees this year. Our focus on marine biodiversity will help push forward scientific understanding of how improvements can be made in fishing practices to minimise ecosystem impacts. Without doubt, our collective efforts can help to ensure our oceans remain productive and resilient in the face of the growing pressures and demands placed on them but much more needs to be done and urgently if we are to deliver the UN Strategic Development Goals by 2030.” 

Dr Keith Sainsbury, Fisheries Assessment Scientist and member of the Technical Advisory Board to the Marine Stewardship Council said:

“I’m delighted to have been part of the panel reviewing these fascinating Ocean Stewardship Fund projects. All promote cross-sector collaboration between scientists and fishers to solve ocean challenges, with many using the traditional knowledge of fishers to encourage successful outcomes. Our ocean faces a multitude of threats from overfishing to climate change and biodiversity decline but we’re still in the window of opportunity to safeguard our oceans. Sustainable fisheries management can lead to incredible turnarounds, especially when fishers are viewed as being part of the solution.”   

Since the establishment of the Ocean Stewardship Fund in 2019, the fund has issued 64 grants to a total sum of USD$2.8 million. 

 

Aldi’s motion to dismiss lawsuit alleging deceptive sustainability claims denied

February 17, 2022 — U.S. Superior Court for the District of Columbia Judge Heidi Pasichow has rejected a motion to dismiss a lawsuit alleging Aldi had been deceptive in its claims of sustainability for its fresh Atlantic salmon products.

Filed in January 2021, the lawsuit alleges Aldi’s use of the phrase “Simple. Sustainable. Seafood.” on its Atlantic salmon products “leads consumers to believe that the salmon was farmed in accordance with high environmental and animal welfare standards, but in reality, the salmon are sourced unsustainably,” Toxin Free USA, which is suing Aldi, said in a new press release. GMO/Toxin Free USA is a nonprofit that advocates against the use of GMOs, synthetic pesticides, and other toxins in food products. Its complaint describes the net-pen farms in Chile, the source of some of the salmon sold by Aldi, as using an “ecologically dangerous method” of salmon production in which thousands of fish are crowded into cages or pens.

Read the full story at SeafoodSource

 

Changes to MSC fisheries standard up for public review

February 4, 2022 — The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) has initiated a 60-day public review of its proposed updates to the MSC fisheries standard, with stakeholders having until 4 April to review and provide feedback.

More than 446 fisheries, representing about 17 percent of the global wild marine harvest, are certified to the MSC fisheries standard – which is regularly reviewed for best practices in fisheries management. The current fisheries standard review began in 2018, and has included the participation of over 1,000 stakeholders. The draft standard has been approved by the MSC’s board of trustees and is now moving into the final stage of public review.

Read the full story at SeafoodSource