Clearwater Seafoods Banquereau and Grand Bank Arctic surf clam
Last Updated: 26 April 2012
Number of fisheries: 1
Species
Arctic surf clam (Mactromeris polynyma)
MSC assessment status
The Conformity Assessment Body, Intertek Moody Marine, has announced that the Public Comment Draft Report for the Clearwater Seafoods Banquereau and Grand Bank Arctic surf clam fishery is now available for comment for a period of 30 days. In addition, and because publication of the PCDRs has not occurred within 10 months of the site visit in June 2011, Intertek Moody Marine is also asking stakeholders to submit any new information that is relevant to the assessment of these fisheries and that has come to light since the site visit. Any stakeholder wishing to comment on the report is invited to contact Dr Rob Blyth-Skyrme no later than 5pm GMT, 26 May 2012.
Stakeholders are advised that they are to provide objective evidence in support of any additional claims or any claimed errors of fact in their response to the Public Comment Draft Report. Any comments made by stakeholders shall be documented and forwarded by the certification body to its certification decision-making entity.
Please refer to the assessment downloads for further information.
Fishery location
This fishery occurs in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean, FAO statistical Area 21 on Banquereau Bank, which is a component of the Scotian Shelf in the Atlantic Ocean located east of Nova Scotia, and on Grand Bank, which is one of a series of banks collectively referred to as the Grand Banks, lying south east of Newfoundland.
Fishing method
Hydraulic dredges are used to harvest Arctic surf clams on the Banquereau and Grand Bank. These dredges are a mobile gear towed by large vessels typically used to harvest shellfish from the substrate in which they are buried. The dredge uses sea water under pressure to lift the shellfish into a retaining device allowing smaller clams to pass through.
Fishery management
There are two main groups involved with the management of the Arctic surf clam fishery; the Offshore Clam Management Board (OCMB), and the Offshore Clam Advisory Committee (OCAC).
Commercial market
Arctic surf clams are shucked and individually quick frozen at sea. The prime grade meat may be sold into the US or shipped to Japan and China for sale, or it may receive additional processing in China prior to sale.
Assessment timeline
The assessment process is expected to take 13 months and is scheduled for completion around May 2012. Please see the download section for a detailed assessment timeline.
The target eligibility date for this fishery will be 6 months prior the publication of the Public Comment
Draft Report (PCDR). This will allow the client to gain maximum benefit following a successful certification.
The MSC ecolabel can only be applied to product from certified fisheries. The MSC program does allow, in certain circumstances and within strict traceability requirements, the MSC ecolabel to be applied following certification to product caught before the actual date of certification. The target eligibility date therefore represents the date from which products may become eligible to carry the MSC ecolabel, however they cannot be sold until and if the fishery is certified. The actual eligibility date will be determined if the fishery is certified to the MSC standard.
To find out more about when fish from this fishery may be sold with the MSC ecolabel, please follow this link (http://www.msc.org/get-certified/supply-chain/eligibility-dates).
Tonnage of the fishery
The Banquereau Bank total TAC = 24,000 t
The Grand Bank total TAC = 14,756 t
