The Canada 4VWX purse seine herring fishery, located in the Bay of Fundy, off the coast of Nova Scotia and southwest New Brunswick, has voluntarily entered into assessment against the Marine Stewardship Council’s (MSC) global standard for sustainable, wild-caught seafood. The assessment will be conducted by third-party certifier Food Certification International Ltd. (trading as Acoura Marine) and if certification is achieved, Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus) from this fishery will be eligible to carry the blue MSC ecolabel.
The MSC fishery standard is the world’s most recognized standard for the certification of environmentally sustainable and well-managed wild-capture fisheries. The transparent assessment will examine the fishery’s impact on fish stocks and the marine ecosystem. It will also evaluate the fishery’s management process to ensure that it is taking all necessary steps to protect the ocean environment for future generations.
About the Canada 4VWX herring fishery
The Canada 4VWX purse seine herring fishery operates during the majority of the year in the region off the coast of Nova Scotia and southwest New Brunswick (NAFO Division 4VWX zone). The client group consists of 10 companies that are active in the harvesting and processing of herring in the fishery. Efforts for the assessment are being led by the Seafood Producers Association of Nova Scotia (SPANS). The companies in the client group produce herring for a variety of products for world markets including herring fillets for Europe, herring roe for Japan, and canned and marinated herring for markets around the world.
The purse seine herring fishery consists of two components, or units of certification: the NAFO Division 4VWX zone individual quota managed fishery and the Scotian Shelf fishery managed with an initial fleet allocation. The quota and allocation for these two components in 2013-14 were 50,000 and 12,000 metric tonnes, respectively. The established management system includes dockside monitoring and observer coverage.
Significant collaborative work demonstrated
“We are very pleased to enter into assessment to demonstrate the sustainable fishing methods and management of the Canadian purse seine herring fishery,” said Roger Stirling, President of SPANS. “The collaborative work of the client group and Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) Maritimes Region have been significant and we look forward to a successful outcome of the assessment process.”
MSC welcomes the Canadian 4VWX purse seine herring fishery to the program
“It is with great pleasure that I welcome the 4VWX herring fishery and the companies in the client group into independent assessment against the MSC standard and I encourage their efforts to undergo the assessment process,” said Jay Lugar, MSC’s Program Director for Canada. “Herring is an important fishery in southwest Nova Scotia and New Brunswick and the MSC applauds the commitment of SPANS and the client group member companies to move forward with full assessment against the MSC standard for sustainable and well-managed fisheries.
MSC’s Standard for sustainable fishing
The assessment will measure the fishery against MSC’s standard for sustainable fishing which was developed over the past 15 years in consultation with NGOs, marine scientists and industry experts.
The standard is based on three core principles:
- Maintaining healthy populations of target species;
- Maintaining the integrity, productivity and resilience of the wider marine ecosystem; and,
- Effective management.
The MSC’s Global Impacts Report 2014 and Annual Report 2013-14 show that fisheries engaged in the MSC certification program are delivering improvements to the marine environment. Since 1999, those achieving MSC certification have made 575 improvements to their fishing practices, including measures to reduce unwanted bycatch of endangered species, restore habitat and improve scientific understanding of marine ecosystems.
Have your say
Stakeholder input is crucial to the outcome of a fishery assessment and all results are peer reviewed. Anyone can be involved in the assessment process. If you would like to bring information or concerns about the fishery to the attention of the certifier, Food Certification International Ltd. (trading as Acoura Marine) contact [email protected]. Stakeholders with an interest in the fishery are encouraged to provide comments and information for this assessment process.