 October 10, 2007
"Given the mandates for sustainable fishery management in the Alaska state constitution and the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, and the outstanding job by the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, we think the cod fishery in Alaska is an excellent example of a fishery that should meet MSC standards.", said Jim Browning with AFDF. The MSC label is an independent, third-party certification of fisheries that are managed responsibly. There is an increasing demand by major seafood distributors around the world for seafood products harvested from sustainable fisheries. Fisheries off the coast of Alaska that are currently MSC-certified include Alaska salmon, pollock, sablefish and halibut. The assessment will be conducted over the next 14 - 20 months. Funding for the assessment comes primarily from harvesters and processors, as well as from grants obtained by AFDF from NOAA and the Sustainable Fisheries Fund. Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation is in its 30th year as an industry-based, membership supported foundation. Working on behalf of the fishing industry in Alaska, it has conducted projects as diverse as building the first surimi plant in Kodiak in the mid 1980's to sponsoring the Alaska Symphony of Seafood for the last 14 years; this certification is the latest example of their efforts. The Marine Stewardship Council
is an independent, global, non-profit organization whose role
is to recognize, via a certification program, well-managed fisheries
and to harness consumer preference to support sustainable seafood
products. Source of News:
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