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Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands and Gulf of Alaska Pollock


Highlights

Pacific Halibut Fishery Achieves Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Certification

First Halibut Fishery Receives MSC Certification

Una Industria Sustentable

World First Cod Fishery Receives MSC Environmental Certificate

Check out the “SCS in the News” Section

Certification Information

In 2001, SCS began an assessment of the Alaska pollock fisheries on behalf of the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The full certification will be of the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands (BS/AI) and the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) pollock fisheries.

While only a single project, the assessment was split in two parts, and each part run simultaneously, as many of the documents and information were required for both projects. The two parts of the evaluation will be the BS/AI fishery and the GOA fishery. The BS/AI and GOA represent separate management areas and in many scientists’ opinions, different fish stocks. Given these factors, it is appropriate that separate evaluations be conducted so that each fishery can be evaluated to determine if it can be considered sustainable under the Principles and Criteria set forth by the MSC.

BS/AI pollock are harvested only with mid-water fishing gear. There are several discrete industry sectors: catcher/processors; shoreside processors; mothership vessels; and catcher vessels that deliver to shoreside processors and motherships. Although all sectors are subject to the same overall fishery management regime, differences in operating modes can, at times, lead to differences in specific management measures applied to different sectors.

The GOA pollock stock harvest is allocated among sub-management areas and fish are harvested in a manner similar to that in the BS/AI management area.

SCS will examine all relevant factors pertaining to certification of the BS/AI and GOA fisheries, including examining all harvest methods, to ensure that all fish harvested in the fisheries will be covered under the certification.

Certification Advisories and Background

Certification Report