SAI Global, an independent certification body, officially recommended that the Atlantic menhaden purse seine fishery should be certified sustainable against the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) fisheries standard. MSC certification reflects the most up-to-date understanding of internationally accepted fishery science and management.
"We're very pleased with today\'s recommendation, which takes us right up to the finish line of the MSC certification process," said Bret Scholtes, President and CEO of Omega Protein. "As we complete this process, we will continue working collaboratively with independent certifiers and our management partners to ensure a healthy and sustainable fishery."
Fisheries that pursue MSC certification are evaluated against 28 performance indicators in three categories: sustainability of the stock, minimizing environmental impacts, and effective fishery management. The Atlantic menhaden fishery scored 82.5, 86.0, and 92.2, respectively, in these three categories. This handily surpassed the minimum score of 60 required for all 28 indicators and the average score of 80 required for each category. The assessment report compliments the fishery for having a comprehensive fishery management plan and menhaden-specific conservation and management measures in place. It also praises the extensive research surveys and monitoring of both the Mid-Atlantic ecosystem and the Atlantic menhaden stock, among the fishery's other strengths.
As part of the certification process and as part of its commitment to menhaden's long-term sustainability, Omega Protein has agreed to work with its management partners at the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) on sustainability objectives. To achieve these objectives, the company is supporting the ASMFC's development of a harvest strategy and new rules that take into consideration the ecological role of Atlantic menhaden. The ASMFC has spent the past several years developing new ecological reference points, a process that is expected to conclude later this year.
The Atlantic menhaden fishery has long been found to be healthy and sustainable. According to the ASMFC, the resource is currently not overfished and overfishing is not occurring. Additionally, Atlantic menhaden has not been overfished since the 1960s. Due to the strength of the coast-wide stock, the ASMFC raised the quota for Atlantic menhaden every year between 2015 and 2017.
Following the publication of the final report, registered stakeholders and peer reviewers will have 15 working days until March 27, to raise an objection to the report's conclusions. If objections are filed, they will be evaluated by an independent adjudicator which will lead to a final decision. If there are no objections, the fishery will be certified.
