A sea-to-sea guarantee

There are many issues to consider in choosing the right eco-label, says Butler. “SeaChoice and Greenpeace just pass and fail fisheries, but they don’t hire an independent team to assess them like the MSC. I think consumers want independence in the process, not just organizations declaring their opinions.” Burridge adds that the BCSA is also concerned about compliance with international standards: “The MSC is the only program that is fully compliant with standards developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.”

Under the MSC program, an independent team of experts conducts a peer-reviewed assessment of a fishery’s practices and the health of the stocks and ecosystem. “Product has to go through a chain of custody audit from boat to retailer to ensure traceability and that fishing practices are environmentally sustainable,” says Butler. In general, certification requires at least six months to a year and costs about $100,000, says Burridge. But more time and money may be required for complex or controversial species. For the ASP’s shrimp fishery, the certification required about three years. But according to Burridge, the evaluation process for B.C.’s sockeye salmon has been underway for almost eight years. “In B.C., we include the Marine Conservation Caucus and other environmental groups in our assessments,” she says. Both the ASP and BCSA plan to pursue MSC certification to some degree for other species, depending on market demand. “My ambition is to see every fishery in B.C. complete an MSC pre-assessment, which is a quick and dirty look to identify gaps,” adds Burridge. “We may not necessarily go forward with full assessments for species sold in markets where there’s little demand, which tend to be Asian, but pre-assessments will give us the knowledge needed to manage all our wild-capture fisheries on a long-term, sustainable basis.”

Demand for sustainably managed seafood is on the rise in Canada, but unlike European consumers, it’s not clear that Canadian consumers are aware of the MSC’s blue logo and understand its significance. But neither the ASP nor the BCSA are involved in public education. “I think that’s something that the MSC and retailers themselves will do,” says Burridge. “So far I believe the only real commitment is from Loblaws.”

Farmed fish aren’t off the environmental hook. Although these are renewable resources, environmental groups often have concerns that there may be crowded, badly managed operations that can generate pollution, disease and escapees that contaminate wild stocks. The MSC only certifies wild capture operations, and there’s no equivalent certification program for farmed fish that’s acquired even its modest percentage of global recognition, says Dr. Jamey Smith, executive director of the New Brunswick Salmon Growers Association. “There are many eco-labels like the Certified Quality Program and the WWF’s Safe Quality Foods, but there’s no strong leader,” he says. “And there isn’t one specifically for salmon, although there are several under development.”