Canada Scotia-Fundy haddock: the fishers' story
Meet the Canada Scotia-Fundy haddock fishers
MSC certification has both ensured the Canada Scotia-Fundy haddock fishery does not adversely impact non-target species and can continue to supply buyers looking to source sustainable seafood. Bruce Chapman, who heads the Groundfish Enterprise Allocation Council, discusses the motivations behind and impact of certification for the fishery.
Quick facts
"I think by the end of 2012 we will see more and more lead buyers going that way [toward buying primarily sustainable seafood]. This is the wave of the future."
– Bruce Chapman, executive director of the Groundfish Enterprise Allocation Council
Why we chose MSC certification
As MSC certification gains recognition and more major seafood buyers establish policies to buy MSC certified or similar seafood, it has become increasingly imperative for fisheries that are sustainably managed to be recognised as such. This trend has not gone unnoticed in Eastern Canada, where in past decades a number of factors had led to the collapse of many of their historically important fisheries.
Years of conservative management and other measures have since rebuilt many of their stocks. Haddock, particularly the stocks in the Bay of Fundy and Scotian Shelf which surround the southern portion of Nova Scotia, is doing particularly well and has emerged as one of the main fisheries in the region.
Bruce Chapman, executive director of the Groundfish Enterprise Allocation Council, which represents offshore groundfish fishers in Atlantic Canada, explains that haddock stock levels there are in the healthy zone, which led them to decide that it made sense for the fishery to pursue certification and capitalise on the benefits of being able to continue to supply sustainability-minded seafood buyers.
"I think over time we will see more and more lead buyers going that way,” says Bruce Chapman, executive director of the Groundfish Enterprise Allocation Council. "This is the wave of the future."What sets us apart
Here are a few of the steps the Canada Scotia-Fundy haddock fishery has taken towards sustainable fishing:- Conservative management has rebuilt both haddock and other groundfish stocks
- Target Allowable Catch (TAC) for cod, which is caught as bycatch in some sectors and targeted as part of a mixed fishery in the longline sector, was reduced by almost half in 2011 – from 3000 to 1650 tonnes
- Commitment to improving management decision-making processes
- Ongoing efforts to craft conservation strategies for bycatch and to ensure they remain within safe biological limits
- Certification has spurred government to move faster in implementing sustainable fishing policies
Environmental benefits of MSC certification
One of the main issues identified by the certification process was the need to ensure that the amount of bycatch of cod, white hake and skate remains within safe biological limits, so as not to harm those species' population levels. This was particularly the case for the longline sector of the fishery, which targets both cod and haddock in a mixed fishery.
To that end, the fishery has already developed a conservation plan and rebuilding strategy for the cod in the Bay of Fundy and Scotian Shelf and, for 2011, reduced the cod TAC from 3000 tonnes to 1650 tonnes.
Certification was not the only impetus for these actions, of course, but the fact that a strategy was developed for these particular cod stocks first was due to the certification of the haddock stocks in these regions.
Bycatch in the other major sector of the fishery, otter trawlers, is not as significant an issue since they can use a cod separator panel, which allows cod to escape from the trawl net while haddock remain inside.
Chapman believes that in the long term the limits to the cod catch will be beneficial. "I think it’s a good thing that the conditions of the certification require clear articulation of objectives and clear TAC-setting rules, whereas before, people would look at the science and perform a qualitative evaluation of a bunch of factors," he says. "Now, there’s a framework forced on that decision-making. I think that’s a good thing. Over time, I think you’ll see more fish stocks managed like that, which in turn should lead to more sustainable resource utilisation."
How else does MSC certification benefit the environment?Economic benefits of MSC certification
A recent call to Chapman from a major U.S. retailer that did not previously buy haddock from Atlantic Canada but which is now interested in sourcing MSC certified haddock might be a sign of things to come.
"I think it will open up some market channels that previously weren’t really focused on Nova Scotia haddock," says Chapman. "In a more significant way, I think it will maintain market access that we currently have, with respect to buyers who have made it a policy to have an eco-certified, sustainable seafood supply. That probably is the biggest single benefit – maintaining existing markets."
How else does MSC certification improve economic prospects for fisheries?Policy benefits of MSC certification
With haddock joining several already-certified Eastern Canada shellfish fisheries, the Canadian government has found itself pressed to accelerate implementation of its sustainable fishing policies.
"They have some good policies on the precautionary approach framework and on sensitive benthic areas, but the implementation of these has been a little bit slower than one might expect," explains Chapman. "So the effect of these MSC certifications has been to accelerate the implementation of some of these policies that have been around for a while."
Looking ahead...
In addition to continuing to make decision-making rules more transparent and streamlined, the fishery is proceeding with its work to ensure bycatch of various species is within biological limits. As part of this work, they are producing an identification booklet so harvesters can identify the skate species they catch and record their location before live-releasing them. If a particular location encounters the animals more than others, a move-away protocol will be implemented.
"These are conservation improvements, things that we can do on the water," says Chapman.
Get recipes for sustainable fish dishesFind MSC labelled products from this fishery
More about MSC certified fisheries and fish
The article above was written by an independent journalist commissioned by the MSC to find out how MSC certification has helped this fishery.
