Unit of certification
The unit of certification is the unit that is assessed by certifiers against the MSC environmental standard. It is defined as the fishery or fish stock (a biologically distinct unit) combined with the fishing method/gear and practice (the vessel/s) pursuing that stock. This is set at the beginning of the assessment.
The fishery: Unit of certification
The certified Atlantic deep sea red crab fishery is defined as:
|
Species |
Deep sea red crab (Chaceon quinquedens) |
|
Geographical range of fishing operations |
The boundaries of the management unit for red crab are limited to the waters of the Atlantic Ocean from 35º 15.3N. lat., the approximate latitude of Cape Hatteras Light, NC, northward to the U.S.-Canada border, extending eastward from the shore to the outer boundary of the exclusive economic zone and northward to the U.S.-Canada border. |
|
Method of capture |
Trap (pot) |
|
Stock |
Red crab stock |
|
Management |
New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC), in partnership with the National Marine Fisheries Service, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the US Department of Commerce. |
|
Client group |
New England Red Crab Harvesters Association |
