Hatcheries not a problem for wild salmon, MSC says

A Marine Stewardship Council audit found that "hatchery enhancement activities are highly unlikely to have significant negative impacts on wild pink and chum salmon in Southeast Alaska, Prince William Sound and Lower Cook Inlet."

Here's an MSC news release on the audit.

Juneau watch

Gov. Mike Dunleavy is proposing $10 million for the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute to spend over a three-year period.

The funding would allow ASMI to implement "a comprehensive marketing plan in the U.S. domestic market to recover lost sales and historically low ex-vessel values across all commercially harvested Alaska seafood species," a budget description says.

One goal of the marketing plan is to "counter the Marine Stewardship Council ecolabel that continues to certify Russian seafood in the global marketplace," the description says.

MSC victory for Alaska salmon

A decision turning back objections out of Canada clears the way for Marine Stewardship Council recertification of the Alaska salmon fishery.

The fishery has been certified since 2000. The certification was due to expire on Nov. 11.

Certification allows Alaska salmon to carry the blue MSC label signifying the product has been independently verified for sustainability.

Another MSC objection

We previously reported how the Alaska salmon fishery is up for Marine Stewardship Council recertification.

Now, another organization is objecting.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, which describes itself as the UK's largest nature conservation charity, is raising concerns about possibly significant gillnet bycatch of seabirds, particularly the marbled murrelet.

The little blue label

The Alaska salmon fishery first qualified for the Marine Stewardship Council's blue ecolabel in 2000, and has achieved recertification a number of times since.

The current certification expires on May 11, and the fishery appears well on its way toward earning another five-year extension.

Alaska salmon producers consider the ecolabel important for accessing certain markets.

But Canadian conservation groups are objecting to recertification of Alaska salmon fisheries.

Halibut, sablefish win five-year MSC recertification

Here's the new certificate.

Gulf of Alaska cod regains MSC certification

Here's a press release.

MSC update

Marine Stewardship Council certification for Alaska's salmon fisheries was to expire Nov. 11, but the certification has been extended for five months.

Here are two documents explaining the situation.

Extension request
Extension response

Prince William Sound salmon joins MSC club

Prince William Sound is no longer excluded — the region's salmon fishery has been certified as well-managed and sustainable under the Marine Stewardship Council program.

Here are the two key documents:

Certification report — Executive summary on Pages 5-8.

Certificate of conformity

Some significant MSC news

Alaska's salmon fishery — with one big exception — is certified as well-managed and sustainable under the Marine Stewardship Council program.

The exception is Prince William Sound, a top salmon-producing region. The region lacks MSC certification due at least in part to questions about the impact of the Sound's large salmon hatcheries on wild fish stocks.

Now comes hope that Prince William Sound might soon achieve certification, joining the rest of the state's salmon fishery.

MRAG Americas, the company that certifies the Alaska salmon fishery to the MSC standard, recently issued an announcement that an MSC assessment of Prince William Sound salmon has begun.

The assessment, if favorable, could result in certification of the Prince William Sound salmon fishery in March 2017.

An assessment team is meeting in Juneau this week and will take up Prince William Sound on Wednesday, Amanda Stern-Pirlot, team leader for the assessment, tells Deckboss.

MSC certification is regarded as important for marketing Alaska salmon, particularly in Europe. Certification allows producers to label their product with the blue MSC ecolabel.

The Prince William Sound assessment comes at the request of the Pacific Seafood Processors Association, the Seattle-based trade group that holds the MSC certificate for the Alaska salmon fishery.

Back in the MSC fold

The return of Alaska's major salmon processors to the Marine Stewardship Council program is now official with the signing of this certificate of conformity.

The document lists all of the companies eligible to use the blue MSC ecolabel, which evidently is quite important in certain markets.

Unfortunately, the certification picture remains muddled as Prince William Sound, one of Alaska's top salmon-producing regions, remains excluded from the certificate. This stems from questions about the impact of the area's large hatcheries on wild salmon and herring populations.

Ecopeace

Rival processor groups have reached a deal to end their conflict over Marine Stewardship Council certification of Alaska salmon.

MSC urges arbitration in salmon dispute

As we observed last month, Alaska's major salmon processors are having trouble rejoining the Marine Stewardship Council certification program.

That's because a group of generally smaller processors, led by Silver Bay Seafoods, holds the MSC certificate for Alaska salmon and appears unwilling to share it.

A recent attempt to settle the matter through mediation has failed.

Now the MSC is urging binding arbitration. And the organization is asking Alaska's governor to help bring the two sides to an arbitration proceeding.

Here's an exchange of correspondence laying out the situation:

Gov. Bill Walker letter to the MSC
MSC Chief Executive Rupert Howes reply

Mediation proposed for MSC squabble

Back in April, you'll recall, the state's largest salmon processors announced they wanted to rejoin the Marine Stewardship Council program.

The move was motivated, apparently, by the need to have MSC certification in order to sell salmon into certain markets such as Europe.

To rejoin the MSC, the processors must reach agreement with an association of generally smaller companies, led by Silver Bay Seafoods, that holds the MSC certificate for Alaska salmon.

Evidently, negotiations between the two sides haven't gone smoothly.

Trident Seafoods, on behalf of the major processors, recently appealed to the MSC for help with "certificate sharing."

And now the MSC has responded with this statement on the situation. Most significantly, the MSC is offering to line up a mediator to work with the parties.

Make of it what you will

A mysterious person, presumably a public relations man, just sent the following press release to Deckboss.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Alaska Salmon Producers Decide to Rejoin MSC

10 April 2015 (Seattle, WA) — Several Alaska salmon producers announced today that they have decided to rejoin Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) through the client group that holds the MSC certificate for wild Alaska salmon, Alaska Salmon Processors Association, Inc. This is in addition to their ongoing commitment to, and participation in, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)-based Alaska Responsible Fisheries Management (RFM) certification program.

This expansion would provide multiple certification choices in the global marketplace for virtually 100% of the gold-standard of sustainable seafood: wild Alaska salmon.

"This decision is based on the recognition that both the salmon market and sustainability landscape have changed in recent years," said Stefanie Moreland, Director of Government Relations and Seafood Sustainability at Trident Seafoods. "Today, there is growing market acceptance for multiple sustainability certifications, underscored by the significant progress made in establishing a common global benchmarking tool for those certification programs."

Moreland added, "The successful launch of Alaska's RFM program in 2010 and its ongoing refinement was undoubtedly a major factor in this market shift, and we continue to pledge our full support for the RFM program and the Alaska brand."

Adopting both RFM and MSC certifications would eliminate arbitrary sustainability product differentiation in the market place for Alaska salmon and ensure that even more consumers around the world will be able to enjoy the world's most sustainable and high-quality seafood.

"We project historic runs of wild Alaska salmon this year, and it is important that as many global retailers as possible have access to our abundant supply," said Barry Collier, President and CEO of Peter Pan Seafoods. "We recognize different markets have different preferences for certification, which is why we look forward to offering choice."

As a testament to the long-standing sustainability success of Alaska's seafood industry, the 2015 run of Bristol Bay sockeye salmon is forecasted to be approximately 50% larger than the long-term mean, according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.

"In Alaska, we work hard to ensure that we maintain the most advanced and rigorous science-based approach to ensuring the sustainable management of our fisheries," said Jeff Regnart, State of Alaska Department of Fish and Game Director of Commercial Fisheries. "The decision of the Alaska salmon producers to expand their certification options reaffirms Alaska's commitment to keeping responsible fisheries management at its core, and to promoting choice and competition in the marketplace."

The group of Alaska salmon producers entering into the discussions includes Alaska General Seafoods, Icicle Seafoods, Kwikpak Fisheries, Leader Creek Fisheries, North Pacific Seafoods, Ocean Beauty, Peter Pan Seafoods, Triad Fisheries, Trident Seafoods, and Yukon Gold. The group has also requested that any other interested Alaska salmon producer also be given the opportunity to join under the same cost-sharing agreement as the new members.

###

For more information, please contact Stefanie Moreland, Director of Government Relations and Seafood Sustainability at Trident Seafoods, at 206-297-4627.

Personnel file

We've had a number of hirings, board changes and the like to begin the new year. Here's a quick rundown.

Cora Campbell, the former Alaska fish and game commissioner, has taken a job with Norton Sound Economic Development Corp.

Charles O. Swanton has been named deputy commissioner of the Department of Fish and Game. Swanton, who previously was director of the Division of Sport Fish, also has been nominated to the Pacific Salmon Commission.

The Marine Stewardship Council has appointed Brian Perkins as regional director for the Americas.

The Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association has added Lange Solberg to its board of directors.

Megan O'Neil is the new executive director for the Petersburg Vessel Owners Association.

Deckboss also hears that Ephraim Froehlich is the new fisheries aide to U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska. He replaces Jay Sterne.

The MSC merry-go-round

Back in November, the London-based Marine Stewardship Council said Alaska salmon had earned recertification as a sustainable and well-managed fishery (except for Prince William Sound).

The MSC "client" securing the recertification was the Purse Seine Vessel Owners' Association, a Seattle-based fishing group.

PSVOA, you'll recall, stepped in after most of Alaska's major salmon processors in 2012 decided to pull out of the MSC program.

Well, now the matter has taken yet another twist.

A notice posted May 6 on the MSC website said PSVOA "has withdrawn as the MSC client for this fishery."

The new client, the notice said, is the Alaska Salmon Processors Association.

Never heard of it, you say?

That's because it's very new. State records show the Alaska Salmon Processors Association is a nonprofit corporation formed on April 10.

Four persons are listed as officers in the association. All are connected with processors who apparently see some market value in continuing with the MSC ecolabel.

Here's a rundown of the four officers:

Robert Zuanich, Sitka, president
Affiliated with Silver Bay Seafoods LLC

Cassandra Squibb, Anchorage, vice president
Affiliated with Copper River Seafoods Inc.

Joe Kelso, Seattle, secretary
Affiliated with Ekuk Fisheries LLC

Norman Kilborn, Kodiak, treasurer
Affiliated with International Seafoods of Alaska Inc.

Parnell says state has deal with Walmart

Note: The following press release from the governor's office comes in apparent response to this pronouncement from Walmart.

Office of Gov. Sean Parnell

Jan. 24, 2014

State, Walmart announce agreement on seafood sustainability

JUNEAU — Following focused efforts by the state of Alaska to educate, inform and reassure Walmart about Alaska's commitment to responsible fisheries management, Gov. Sean Parnell today announced that Walmart and the state had come to an agreement, and that the retailer will continue to purchase Alaska seafood.

"This is great news for Alaska's seafood industry and the state as a whole," Parnell said. "We are very happy to hear that Walmart, the world's largest retailer, will continue to buy Alaska seafood. I want to especially commend the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development, the Department of Fish and Game and the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute for their hard work in showcasing the sustainability of Alaska seafood. Maintaining choice in seafood sustainability certifications is important to the state and the fishing industry, and Walmart's decision is a major step in the right direction.”

Representatives from ASMI and several state officials have been working with Walmart and The Sustainability Consortium for several months, including a delegation visiting corporate headquarters in Bentonville, Ark., last September. Just a couple of weeks ago, Walmart sent a delegation to Alaska to continue discussions clarifying aspects of the Responsible Fisheries Management Certification program, and to see firsthand the work being done to ensure Alaska's fish are harvested responsibly.

In addition to continuing to purchase Alaska seafood, Walmart has amended its sourcing policies to allow for multiple certification programs that meet principles outlined by TSC. The state will continue working with TSC as ASMI considers the recently released TSC principles.

Walmart summit set

Gov. Sean Parnell says his people will meet with Walmart's people next week in Juneau. Here's a press release.

ASMI: Most salmon processors are done with MSC

Here's a statement from the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute.