The MSC is pleased to confirm that the Alaska salmon fishery re-assessment appears to be on track for completion in the first half of 2007.
The fishery client, Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADFG), and the certifier, Scientific Certification Systems (SCS), have indicated to the MSC that the client draft report will shortly be ready for peer review. Once this step is completed the Public Review Draft Assessment Report will be ready for release and comment from stakeholders.
With an expectation that current work progress will continue, it is reasonable to expect that the final report and determination will be completed in March 2007. The MSC is prepared to approve a request from the certifier to vary the certification methodology so that the current Alaska salmon certificate can be extended to cover the completion of the re-assessment process. For businesses using the MSC label, there will be no changes or disruption as a result of this expected extension.
This welcome news follows an extended re-assessment process that has been delayed by a number of factors. The Alaska salmon fishery re-assessment has been complicated by the rigorous evaluation of a diverse array of fisheries in Alaska that harvest five different species, numerous distinct stocks, using a variety of gears and fishing in widespread geographic locations. The MSC commends ADFG and SCS for overcoming these and other process challenges in order to take the re-assessment towards the 'finish line.'
The delay in re-assessment has not been unique to the Alaska salmon fishery. For a variety of reasons each of the first five MSC-certified fisheries have required extensions in order to complete the re-assessment process. As part of the MSC's ongoing commitment to improve the quality and consistency of fishery assessments and certifications, it is working with the whole group of MSC certified fisheries to explore improvements to process and procedures for fishery assessments, including re-certification timeliness, where necessary. This marks an investment in the MSC programme that will equip it for future growth and expansion as more fisheries seek MSC certification and re-certification.
With the help of ADFG, other fishery clients and the involved certifiers, MSC is confident that future re-assessments can be streamlined now that the MSC certification process has evolved from its early beginnings.
