Fraser River sockeye are one step closer to being certified sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council. An independent adjudicator, Halifax-based maritime attorney Wylie Spicer, has ruled against objections to the certification of the Fraser sockeye fishery by several ENGOs. "The certifier will now submit the Final Certification Report to MSC recommending the fishery be certified," the MSC stated. "The fishery is not yet certified; however, it is anticipated that, following final internal MSC review of the documents, the certifier will issue a certificate and MSC will announce certification." The B.C. fishing industry reacted quickly stating that Marine Stewardship Certification would be good for the fish, the fisheries and the future.

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TAGS: Fraser River sockeye, MSC certification, adjudicator Wylie Spicer, B.C. fishing industry

Writing in the UK Guardian, David Cronin acccuses  the Brussels bureaucracy of actively encouraging European vessels to act unlawfully in the waters off Western Sahara. A 2005 fisheries agreement between the EU and Morocco states that European fishermen may operate in Western Sahara, which Morocco has occupied since 1974, provided that their activities benefit the indigenous Sahrawi people. 100 of the 119 European vessels granted access to Western Sahara's waters through the agreement are registered in Spain, the territory's former colonial overlord. The EU is blatantly ignoring a statement issued by the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (officially recognised as the representatives of the Sahrawi people by some 75 countries) in January last year. On that occasion, the SADR asserted its people's exclusive rights to exploit the natural resources in a 200-nautical-mile zone surrounding the territory. The EU's behaviour is despicable.

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TAGS: EU, Western Sahara, rape and pillage, EU-Morocco fisheries agreement, illegal fishing, Spain, sustainable, fisheries

The New Zealand Fisheries Ministry is considering a  risky increase in the Hoki Catch Limit. The move has been labelled "phenomenally risky" by a conservation group, Forest & Bird. If implemented, this would be the second increase in two years, after eight years of cuts.

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TAGS: New Zealand fisheries, hoki fishery, catch limit increase, risky move, Forest & Bird, sustainable, fishing, fisheries

B.C. sockeye salmon fisheries in the Skeena, Nass and Barkley Sound were certified last week by the Marine Stewardship Council for sustainable fishing practices , but the Fraser River sockeye fishery was not certified. Various conservation groups argue that the Fraser River fishery does not meet the MSC's criteria. Watershed Watch Salmon Society ecologist Aaron Hill alleges the three fisheries routinely over-harvest threatened and endangered salmon stocks.He says:“Eco-certification.....becomes meaningless when you set the bar too low, and certify unsustainable and mismanaged fisheries. It becomes fraud.”

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TAGS: Fraser River sockeye salmon, Marine Stewardship Council, MSC, certification, fails certification, sustainable, fishing, fisheries, Watershed Watch Salmon Society, Aaron Hill