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Some lobstermen fear it could push the price of lobster pastwhat buyers will pay. De-certification over an issue like whales and trap lines could impact market access. Maine’s lobstermen say they already have a good conservation record. It is estimated that 18% of the world lobster catch is MSC certified—the Mexican Baja California Red RockLobster fishery, which went into assessment in 2001, was certified as sustainable in 2004. Western Australian Rock Lobster was certified in 2000.The Darden Group Restaurants, Wal-mart, Whole Foods, and other large-scaledomestic buyers of seafood understand that the MSC label sells seafood. The eco-trend has been quicker to catch on in Europe—England’s fish retailerMarks & Spencer has announced their intention that all wild fish productsthey purchase must be certified as sustainable by 2012. Before eco-labelinghad caught on, 5% of the fish sold in Europe by Unilever in 2002 was certified.While the significant cost of certification for the lobster industry (which includes yearly reviews and re-certification every 5 years) would bethe responsibility of the buyer, some think it’s another step outside thering toward corporate control. The pressure for MSC certification forseafood comes from outside the fishing industry—from consumers. Invirtually every industry, including the coffee, tea, agricultural,forestry, and appliance industry, there exists some form of green labeling.Green is a good thing—but the issue for the lobster industry is that withradical management changes on the radar, such as possible trap reductions,and possibly 100% trip log book reporting, added pressure and restrictionscoming from the outside could be detrimental to the fishery and it’smanagement system. What is the MSC? In 1996, The London based Marine Stewardship Council was founded when theAnglo-Dutch Corporation Unilever partnered with the World WildlifeFederation in an effort to promote sustainable fisheries practices, usingstandards based upon the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries. There are three principles upon which these standards are based—Sustainability of Stock, Eco-System Impact and Effective Management. Currently operating as an independent organization, the MSC has certified 3% of the world’s fishcatch, their label appearing on 251 seafood products in 24 countries. Forty-seven percentof fisheries presently undergoing the assessment process are North Americanbased, with an additional 20 North American based fisheries entering intoconfidential pre-assessment phase evaluations, adopting fishery managementchanges compliant with MSC standards before the certification processbegins. In addition to seafood harvested for human consumption, the MSC isalso circling around certification for the fish oil and meal industry, keyingredients in pet food and fertilizer. Unilever was the world’s largest buyer of seafood before selling off itsEuropean frozen fish holdings in 2006. In 2005, 60% of their frozen fishproducts sold in Europe were eco-labeled, 50% of which were MSC certified.From 1995 - 2001, Gorton’s of Gloucester was a subsidiary of that company,which acquired Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream in 2000. Established in 1930 afterthe merger between British soap manufacturer Lever Brothers and the Dutchcompany Margarine Unie, Unilever reports an estimated annual revenue of$58.5 billion (US) worldwide. The European corporation owns over 400 name brands, from health and beautyproducts to cleaning supplies, including brand items such as Hellman’s andBest Foods. Unilever, which buys 12% of the world’s black tea supply,produces Lipton Tea, and in 2007 announced their intention to buy all itstea from plantations labeled sustainable by the Rainforest Alliance, whichcertifies sustainably harvested and grown tea on the basis of workerwelfare, farm management, and environmental protection standards. TheRainforest Alliance’s Smartwood Program conducts Forest Stewardship Councilcertification and chain of custody audits, which come into play in Maine’spaper industry. The World Wildlife Federation, founded in1961, Collaborated with Unileverin establishing the Marine Stewardship Council. In their most recent on-line newsletter is a pledge to say yes tosustainable seafood—viewers can sign a petition on-line pledging they’llsay yes to sustainable seafood. Quoting directly from the petition, “In mylocal supermarket, I will look for products that carry the MarineStewardship label and I will visit those shops and restaurants that stockMSC certified seafood. ”If I can’t find MSC certified seafood, I will ask my supermarket, fishstore or favorite restaurant to stock them.” It all sounds altruistic, butthat’s a lot of control. According to one trucker, “That’s blackmail.” After a full Marine Stewardship Council assessment that began in 2005, MSCcertification was denied in 2007 for Britain’s North Eastern Sea FisheriesCommittee’s (NESFC) lobster fishery, which scored high for it’s management systemand environmental impact assessment, but was rejected as a sustainablefishery for issues surrounding MSC’s current stock status assessmentstandards. After failing full assessment, the NESFC was given three yearsduring which they will conduct an ecologically focused study of thefishery, in order to present MSC with data satisfying their data standardsby 2010. Yorkshire Coast lobstermen, who established a v-notch program in 1998, harvest the species Homarus Gammarus with baited pots along England’snortheast coast. After poor management of the lobster fishery in Prainha do Canto Verde, Brazil was cited during MSC ‘s pre-assessment evaluation. Regional management plans were adopted by the Brazilian government—whether the MSC gives its stamp of approval in the future or not, the fishing grounds in Prainha do Canto Verde are charted and under-sized lobster are not legally hauled. Whale Interaction Factor Canada’s blocks to seeking MSC certification and Eco-labeling for their lobster fishery are that the whale interaction is a big issue in the Bay of Fundy; there is no reliable info on lobster stock size; and MSC certification may become a competitive issue with Maine. Before undergoing MSC assessment, Canada would have to also tighten regulations protecting broodstock lobster, which would include several issues—including v-notching and size limit considerations. With the system as it stands, the U.S. is working with Canada, which bears the brunt of processing costs, and markets U.S. lobster. MSC involvement could potentially harm the US live lobster market,” said a mid-coast seafood retailer. The rivalry between the US and Canada is being played out in a race towards certification. In 2003, the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations cited issues they had with MSC certification in their newsletter - just as the Dungeoness Crab fishery was under MSC certification assessment. One idea was that if they can stamp coffee with a fair trade label, why not fish? Could a percentage of profits be returned directly to fishermen? They do all the hard work. The same February 2003 MSC newsletter also stated, “The public that supports us in our occupation of catching fish already realizes the need for standards and acceptable practices. Ultimately, however, the public is only able to choose what it supports with its purchasing dollars—whether a sustainable, diversified, small boat and community-based fishery that supports healthy fishing communities, or alternately, a globalized factory fleet-based fishery in the hands of a few multi-national corporations–—through some sort of identifying label.” Maine’s lobster industry is carefully studying its options in an environment where economic sustainability is crucial (in all of it’s fisheries) and at the same time fishermen, farmers, and small businesses are being forced out of self-sufficiency and traditional livelihoods. |
