Aquaculture for all

Weekly Overview: Alaskan Fisheries Re-certified as Sustainable by MSC

Sustainability Politics

ANALYSIS - In this week's news, the Marine Stewardship Council has now re-certified 13 units of Alaskan salmon fisheries after it was determined that they met the MSC Standard as a sustainable and well-managed fishery, writes Lucy Towers, TheFishSite Editor.

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However, the Prince William Sound unit remains in assessment pending additional data.

Research by Canadian and Peruvian researchers has found that there is more economic potential from Peruvian anchovy sold for human consumption than there is when it is sold as fish meal and fish oil.

"Anchovy accounts for upwards of 80 per cent of Peruvian landings by weight, but it's only responsible for 31 per cent of the sector's revenue," says Villy Christensen, a professor in the University of British Columbia Fisheries Centre.

Christensen and colleagues at Cayetano Heredia University in Peru calculated the economic impact of anchovy and other Peruvian fisheries. They found that artisanal fishers, wholesalers, markets and restaurants generated $2.4 billion per year, or 69 per cent of total revenue. Meanwhile, the fishmeal industry generated only $1.1 billion, or 31 per cent of revenue.

The Aquaculture Stewardship Council, Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA) and GlobalG.A.P. have now identified common requirements for sourcing fishmeal and fish oil (FIFO) as the first step towards their mutual goal of working to improve global aquaculture practices.

The organisations outlined the common criteria for FIFO sourcing as its traceability, no use of material sourced from endangered species or illegal practices and a preference for feed manufacturers with publicly available evidence of responsible sourcing.

The Canadian Government’s Fisheries Technology and New Opportunities Programme is supporting a project exploring the viability of extracting Omega 3-enriched oil from shrimp waste.

Preliminary research by Quinlan Brothers Limited has shown that oil can be derived from shell waste that is highly valued as a premium nutritional supplement.

Chile is now allowing imports of salmon eggs from Iceland, after a review found no health and safety risks.

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