Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
vessels and at the onshore processing facilities, and the fishery closes when harvest
limits are reached (Oliver 2005).
The BS/AI fishery is conducted with mid-water trawl nets, which minimise the
effects of fishing on benthic habitat as well as the incidental catch of non-pollock
species (Plate 13.1). The catcher/processor fleet utilises 99.5% of the fish landed.
Less than 2% of the catch comprises non-pollock species (Pollock Conservation
Cooperative and High Seas Catchers' Cooperative 2007). In addition to APA's
catcher/processor fleet, the fishery is conducted by catcher vessels that deliver fish
to mother ship vessels and directly to onshore processors. All BS/AI fishermen and
processors participate in fish harvesting cooperatives, which operate in a manner
that is similar to individual catch-share programmes (see www.atsea.org for more
details). Fishing organised into cooperatives results in more targeted fish harvesting
and processing, and this helps to alleviate overcapacity in the fishing fleet, promotes
cleaner fishing with less bycatch, and increases the amount of food products made
from the fish that are harvested.
Alaska pollock is processed into two primary products forms: surimi and fillets.
Japan is the most significant market for surimi , and the principal markets for fillet-
type products are the US and the EU. In the winter months, fish roe, a valuable
commodity, is also produced for retail sale. Inedible portions of processed pollock
are often used to produce fishmeal and fish oil.
Notwithstanding the characteristics of the fishery identified above, some NGOs
have been highly critical of the fishery. In addition to asserting that fishing activ-
ities compete with Steller sea lions for pollock, NGOs also allege that fishing the
dominant species in the ecosystem (the pollock) is damaging the food web overall
and harming other species, including northern fur seals (Greenpeace 2006).
13.4
The MSC assessment process - January 2001 to
February 2005
The Alaska pollock fishery was the first significant fishery to undergo assessment
where the NGO community was very actively involved from the start. In fact, mem-
bers of the NGO community petitioned the MSC to prevent the fishery from partic-
ipating in the programme. The NGOs argued that the Alaska pollock fishery was a
'controversial fishery' that under the MSC Principles and Criteria could preclude
assessment of the fishery. The MSC Principles and Criteria elaborate that 'outstand-
ing disputes of substantial magnitude involving a significant number of interests will
normally disqualify a fishery from certification'. Stakeholders alleged that ongoing
litigation pertaining to the endangered Steller sea lion population met the MSC
threshold for barring a fishery from undergoing assessment. The MSC disagreed
with the NGOs' interpretation, and the fishery assessment moved forward, allowing
this matter to be considered in detail by the certification body (the MSC-accredited
certifier, Scientific Certification Systems, Inc.) as part of the assessment process.
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