Two Pacific cod fisheries, one located in the Gulf of Alaska (GoA) and the other in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI), have earned Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification.
The certification covers four methods of fishing for Pacific Cod in the GoA and the BSAI - longline, trawl, pot and jig.
Both the GoA and the BSAI Pacific cod fisheries are managed primarily by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC) in federal waters, and Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) in state waters.
The client for both fisheries is the Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation (AFDF). For 32 years AFDF has focused on sustainable harvest and full utilisation of the harvested fishery resource. The total allowable catch of Pacific cod in the BSAI management area for all gear types in 2010 is 168,780 tonnes. The total allowable catch of Pacific cod in the GoA for all gear types in 2010 is 59,563 tonnes.
Jim Browning, executive director of AFDF, said “It’s been a relatively long process because our foundation chose to go for certification of all gear types and both management areas in Alaska, but our Pacific cod working group members are pleased to finally achieve the certification of sustainability from MSC that indicates again that Alaska Department of Fish and Game and the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council are excellent precautionary management agencies.”
Moody Marine Ltd. was the certifier in both fisheries’ assessments.
