Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
gear (traps, escape windows, etc.) and increased surveillance to prevent illegal fish-
ing. With these mechanisms, it is expected that the fishery will see an increase in
recruitment and consequent production without an increase in fishing effort.
The dynamic management model used to monitor this fishery has reference points
to maintain biomass of the stock at levels above 50% B
0
(above half of its original
condition). This model provides alternative management strategies that depend on
the state of the stock of the fishery, including levels of uncertainty and climate
variability (Vega
et al
. 2000).
12.4
Why MSC certification was sought
In early 2000 the staff of Comunidad y Biodiversidad (COBI) became aware of
the existence of the MSC programme and decided to promote fisheries certification
of small-scale fisheries in Mexico as a strategy to make new social and economic
incentives available to the best managed fisheries in the country. A rapid participa-
tory survey of all fisheries in Mexico's northwest was conducted to select the best
fishery to start the certification process. This survey followed ecological, economic,
social political and feasibility criteria, and used a multi-criteria analysis to find the
best solution (COBI 2000). The candidate fishery selected was the Baja California
lobster fishery in the central area of the Peninsula.
As the FEDECOOP was one of the participants in the rapid survey, the idea of
pursuing certification was analysed in detail by all the members, and it was decided
to enter into pre-assessment immediately. Their reasons to pursue certification were
threefold:
Certification was considered to be an important tool to maintain global com-
petitiveness and to negotiate for governmental support. The Western Australian
rock lobster fishery had achieved MSC certification in 2000, and the coopera-
tives decided to have the same certification to compete in the market of certified
lobster products.
Perhaps more strategically important, being certified would give the FEDE-
COOP and the cooperatives an international recognition of their good steward-
ship and allow them to exert more political pressure to lobby for more support
to maintain the high levels of management being used in the fishery.
Finally, some cooperatives saw a competitive advantage in being certified, al-
lowing exploration of new markets in Europe and the US. Price premium was
not an important consideration (discussed further below).
12.5
The MSC assessment
The Baja California lobster fishery was assessed by the US-based certification
body Scientific Certification Systems and certified in April 2004. The fishery
Search WWH ::
Custom Search