December 6, 2007

London sees increased demand for certified seafood

Fisheries and seafood companies in London are seeking Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification due to US market opportunities.

Recent trends show demand for screened seafood as the US market for sustainable seafood is heating up.

In September 2007 alone, the London-based council certified its first tuna fishery, the Albacore Fishing Association (AAFA), Chicken of the Sea's wild-caught salmon and a consortium of fisheries in Alaska.

MSC recently appointed new independent certifiers to assess a greater variety of species under their standard, including Alaskan species such as black cod, Alaskan cod, flounder and sole.

A giant joint Canadian/US Pacific hake fishery is being assessed for certification; if certified, it will be the second-largest MSC-certified fishery in the world.

Jan Jacobs, president of the Pacific Whiting Conservation Cooperative, explained the strong interest to pursue MSC certification as some major retail chains such as Wal-Mart are asking to fulfill seafood needs from MSC-certified products.

The global retail value of seafood bearing the MSC eco-label in 2006 was over US$500 million, a 116 percent increase over the previous year.

MSC now certifies nearly 1,000 seafood products on store shelves in 35 countries, a 76 percent increase from its 2005 numbers.