The Canadian sablefish fishery is operating within the Canadian Pacific Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) off the coast of British Columbia (B.C.). The certificate was earned Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification following independent assessment to the MSC standard for sustainable, well-managed fisheries.
Blue MSC ecolabel will now be used in the products from this sablefish fishery. The fishery client is Wild Canadian Sablefish Ltd. (WCS) and there are two units of certification under this assessment—one for licensed sablefish vessels using longline Korean traps and one for licensed sablefish vessels using longline hook and line.
The licensed sablefish fleet is part of the larger British Columbia groundfish fleet and thus part of the Groundfish Integration Program, a pro-active program designed to improve various facets of groundfish fisheries through measures such as 100 percent electronic at-sea monitoring, 100 percent dock side monitoring and IVQ systems for all groundfish species subject to total allowable catches (TACs).
Major market of this fishery is Japan as a commodity product. Twenty five percent is exported elsewhere, to the United States, Europe, China, and the Middle East, again primarily as a commodity product. The remaining five percent stays in the domestic market and includes value-added products such as smoked and unsmoked sablefish fillets and steaks.
Ron MacDonald, President, Wild Canadian Sablefish Ltd., said that they are very honored to be the latest addition to the esteemed group of global fisheries that have achieved the MSC certification. Kerry Coughlin, regional director for MSC Americas, told that as part of the Groundfish Integration Program for British Columbia, this sablefish fishery has already implemented a number of positive measures to improve sustainability such as 100 percent electronic at-sea monitoring.
