EMERYVILLE, Calif. — SCS Global Services (SCS) marked World Oceans Day by extending congratulations to all of the fisheries now certified under the Marine Stewardship Council's (MSC) standards for sustainable fishing practices. Together, fisheries recognized by MSC now constitute more than 10% of the total wild capture fish catch worldwide.
"World Oceans Day is a timely reminder that the sustainability of our fisheries is of paramount importance to the health of our oceans and planet," said Dr. Robert J. Hrubes, SCS Executive Vice President. "Seafood lovers, merchants, and restaurants can now enjoy a wide range of choices derived from independently certified fisheries carrying the MSC label."
SCS has certified a diverse set of fisheries around the world. These range from small community-based fisheries like the Lakes and Coorong Fishery in South Australia and the Spiny Lobster in Baja California, Mexico, to some of the largest and complicated fisheries certified under the MSC program, including the Alaska salmon, Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Pollock and Gulf of Alaska Pollock fisheries. Among the fisheries assessed are pelagic net fisheries, bottom trawl fisheries, line fisheries, and pot fisheries. Fisheries certified by SCS include:
Annette Island Salmon
Australian HIMI Icefish
Australian HIMI Toothfish
Australian MI Toothfish
Baja California Red Lobster, Mexico
British Columbia Spiny Dogfish
Canada Atlantic Halibut
Canada Pacific Halibut
Gulf of California Sardine, Mexico
Lakes and Coorong Fishery, South Australia
Louisiana Blue Crab
Maine Red Crab
North Pacific Halibut
North Pacific Sablefish
Oregon Dungeness Crab
Russian Salmon
Scotian Shelf Shrimp, Canada
Western Australian Rock Lobster
"We pride ourselves on conducting rigorous audits and assessments that allow customers to choose MSC certified products with confidence," said Dr. Sabine Daume, SCS Seafood Certification Program Manager. According to Dr. Daume, SCS recently completed certification of the Canada Atlantic Halibut fishery. In addition, the first Russian fishery certified by SCS, the Iturup Island pink and chum fishery, recently initiated the re-assessment process with SCS, following the lead of the US Pacific halibut and sablefish fisheries, as well as lobster fisheries in Mexico and Western Australia. All fisheries in the MSC system are required to undergo re-assessment after 5 years.
For a map of fisheries currently certified by SCS under the Marine Stewardship Council Standards, visit http://www.scsglobalservices.com/sustainable-seafood-certificates
SCS Global Services has been providing global leadership in third-party environmental and sustainability certification, auditing, testing, and standards development for nearly 30 years. Its programs span a wide cross-section of industries, recognizing achievements in green building, product manufacturing, food and agriculture, forestry, retail, and more. SCS provides accredited services under a wide range of internationally recognized certification programs. SCS is a chartered benefit corporation and Certified B Corp™, reflecting its commitment to socially and environmentally responsible business practices.
Source: SCS Global Services