By Margaret Bauman
Alaska Journal of Commerce

Alaska's $750 million dollar pollock fishery is one step closer to receiving an "eco-label" from the Marine Stewardship Council, having met critical standards for conservation and management, industry officials said June 14.

The MSC label tells consumers that their seafood purchase is from a responsibly and sustainably managed fishery, which meets strict conservation standards established by the nonprofit MSC, based in the United Kingdom. In 2002, Alaska salmon fisheries were awarded an MSC label.

The report by Scientific Certification Systems, Inc. of Emeryville, Calif. for MSC shows that the health of pollock stocks is "gangbusters," said Jim Gilmore, director of public affairs for the At-Sea Processors Association. "We are at record high levels of abundance of stocks in the Bering Sea," with good management and favorable environmental conditions, he said.

"This determination that the Bering Sea pollock fishery is sustainable reaffirms that U.S. fisheries management off Alaska is working well. Consumers can be assured that when they eat Alaska pollock, they are selecting a healthy and nutritious product that is also the right environmental choice," Gilmore said.

Domestically, much of the pollock harvest is used in fish sticks, fast food restaurant fish sandwiches and imitation crab. "The surimi goes to Japan, and a fair amount of the fillets and pollock blocks go to Europe," Gilmore said.

The SCS report now faces a three-week period during which stakeholders may file objections to the determination. An attorney representing several environmental groups said June 16 that a protest would be filed, but that the number of participating groups was still being determined.

The At-Sea Processors Association has spent over $500,000 on the study of the mid-water trawl fishery, which over the past 20 years has harvested an average of 1.1 million metric tons of pollock annually.

"We thought it (the label) would be a good way for the public to understand that the fishery is well managed," said Gilmore. "And there is an emerging market in Europe for eco-labels, which indicate a well managed fishery. There are buyers in Europe who have been very supportive of the MSC program."

The California group of internationally renowned marine scientists and fishery management experts determined that Alaska pollock stocks are "at near record high levels" and that the science conducted by the National Marine Fisheries Service in support of this fishery is "world class," the report said. "The evaluation team and peer reviewers further noted that the Bering Straits/Aleutian Islands pollock fishery is among the best managed in the world and is at the forefront of applying progressive, ecosystem-based fisheries management approaches," the processors said in a statement.

The three-year study was a rigorous evaluation process which included extensive consultations with fishery managers and scientists, the environmental community, fishing communities and other stakeholders, the At-Sea Processors said.

Stacey Marz, legal counsel to Trustees for Alaska and the Alaska Oceans Program, under the Alaska Conservation Foundation, said she was extremely surprised with the 278-page report submitted to the MSC by Scientific Certification Systems. There has been a history of depleted stocks that have experienced heavy fishing and have not recovered despite restrictions on fishing, she said.

"In addition to the history of serial depletions, we don't feel that the management system (National Marine Fisheries Service and the North Pacific Fishery Management Council) adequately deal with unknown information and uncertainty in the stock assessment, and in setting the total allowable catch," Marz said. "We think the catch levels should be set using more precaution, given the unknown information and uncertainty in the models and survey information."

Marz said the entire way fisheries are managed needs to shift away from single species management to management with the whole ocean ecosystem in mind.

"The Eastern Bering Sea stock is managed as a single species, without adequately considering the needs of other fish, wildlife and seabirds that eat pollock," she said.

"The Pew Oceans Commission report and the U.S. Commission on Oceans reached similar conclusions on the need for ecosystem based management," she said. "There is not adequate consideration given to other pollock consumers in the ocean."