Surreptitious Seafood Certification?

Consumers are paying more attention to their seafood choices—particularly where it’s from and how it’s sourced. More people are choosing products with labels that show an item’s country-of-origin or how it was caught, demonstrating demand for more transparency in the food industry. But without solid standards defining what various terms like organic or sustainable means, labels certifying seafood products can often be confusing or misleading.

The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) has issued a number of controversial seafood certifications in the last few months, putting a “certified sustainable” label on fish with very questionable sustainability. Among the newly labeled fish are Alaska flatfish and Antarctic krill, which were both certified in June. In mid-July, the hotly disputed Fraser River sockeye salmon fishery was awarded with certification.  Meanwhile, the Ross Sea toothfish (known as Chilean sea bass, its more market-friendly moniker in the U.S.) remains in a state of limbo, poised to possibly receive certification in the near future.

All of these recent certifications have been strongly criticized for various reasons by a number of conservation groups, including Oceana, Pew Charitable Trusts, the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition, Greenpeace, the Center for Biological Diversity, and the Watershed Watch Salmon Society.

The Alaska flatfish is caught using gear that contacts the seafloor and has an extraordinarily high level of bycatch (the accidental capture of marine life other than what was intended). The Antarctic krill plays a crucial role for Antarctic wildlife as food, and is believed to be especially sensitive to climate change, an already big and ongoing concern. The Fraser River sockeye salmon fishery of British Columbia became so depleted in late 2009 that the Canadian prime minister called a federal judicial inquiry last year to determine the cause. MSC permitted certification for each of these fish in spite of vehement objections by many groups.

The Ross Sea toothfish is a special case. For one thing, it remains a mystery fish. Very little is known about it, so it is difficult to estimate how many there are of its kind in the sea. This and a handful of other very concerning “unknown” factors – which I wrote about several months ago – led the ASOC and others to mount opposition to its certification. Their efforts have resulted in a temporary limbo state for the certification, while an independent evaluator looks into the cases for and against eco-labeling. Stay tuned!

A good outcome from all this discussion is that many more people are recognizing that labels may not always mean what we expect them to. What’s a seafood-loving consumer to do? Take a look at our Smart Seafood Guide for some help in deciding what choices are best for you and our planet.  Still have more questions about MSC?  Read more about them or post your comments below – we’ll do our best to respond!

-Marie Logan