Eco-labelling in Fisheries What is it all about?

by Phillips, Bruce; Ward, Trevor; Chaffee, Chet

• ISBN13: 9780632064229
• ISBN10: 0632064226
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2003-07-09
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

Summary

If the marine fishing industry is to survive into the future, innovative approaches are necessary. Recognising that market incentives have the potential to improve fisheries management, the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) has been established to harness these incentives. The work of the MSC translates through from sustainable fishery management certification, to labelling of fish and sea food products, allowing consumers to use their choice and buying power to select eco-labelled products from MSC certified fisheries.This exciting new book covers all aspects of the new eco-labelling initiative developed under the sponsorship of the MSC. Contents include details of the MSC and its certification framework and implementation, dispute resolution, chain-of-custody assessment and community fisheries certification. Also included are important case studies of the MSC certified fisheries of Australia's western rock lobster, Alaska salmon, Thames herring and New Zealand hoki.Eco-Labelling in Fisheries is an essential purchase for all those involved in marine fisheries management throughout the world. Professionals and students in fisheries science, marine biology, ecology, conservation and environmental biology will find this book to be extremely valuable. Libraries in all universities and research establishments where these subjects are studied and taught should have multiple copies of this book on their shelves.

Author Biography

Bruce Phillips is at the Department of Environmental Biology, Curtin University of Technology, Perth, Australia, Trevor Ward is at the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia, Chet Chaffee is at Scientific Certifications Systems, Oakland, California, USA.

Table of Contents

Contributors	xi
Introduction	1	(3)
Bruce Phillips
Chet Chaffee
Trevor Ward
Mike Sutton
Seafood Evaluation, Certification and Consumer Information	4	(10)
Chet Chaffee
Duncan Leadbitter
Edwin Aalders
Introduction	4	(1)
Certification for seafood	5	(2)
Environmental information for seafood	7	(2)
Other certification programmes	9	(1)
Sustainable seafood programmes -- an overview	10	(4)
The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)	14	(20)
Brendan May
Duncan Leadbitter
Mike Sutton
Michael Weber
Introduction	14	(1)
The problem	15	(1)
The theory of eco-labelling	16	(1)
Brief history of the MSC	16	(1)
The MSC standard	17	(3)
The expectations	20	(1)
The result -- a broad-based standard	21	(1)
Overview of how the process works	21	(1)
Fishery assessment systems	22	(1)
The MSC fishery assessment system	22	(1)
Experience to date	23	(1)
Current directions	24	(1)
Some issues of concern for the MSC board, staff and committees	25	(2)
Promoting the brand	27	(2)
Overcoming the challenges	29	(1)
Paying for the change	30	(1)
Conclusions	31	(3)
Introduction to the MSC Certification	34	(29)
The Process of Certification	34	(1)
Chet Chaffee
Introduction	34	(1)
Fishery certification	34	(1)
Chain-of-custody certification	35	(1)
Principle 1 -- Stocks	36	(1)
Louis Botsford
The guiding principles and criteria	36	(2)
Approach to assessment	38	(1)
Potential problems, future directions	39	(2)
Principle 2 -- Effects of Fishing on the Ecosystem	41	(1)
Trevor Ward
The guiding principles and criteria	41	(2)
Approach to assessment	43	(4)
Resolving issues	47	(1)
Fishery impacts	48	(4)
Assessment and evaluation	52	(3)
Monitoring systems	55	(1)
Stakeholder engagement	55	(2)
Principle 3 -- Management Systems	57	(1)
Bruce Phillips
The guiding principles and criteria	57	(2)
Approach to the assessment	59	(1)
Specific criteria	60	(1)
The situation at 2002	61	(2)
Implementing the MSC Programme Process	63	(17)
Chet Chaffee
Bruce Phillips
Trevor Ward
Introduction	63	(1)
MSC pre-assessment	63	(3)
MSC full assessment and certification	66	(14)
Dispute Resolution and the MSC	80	(6)
Duncan Leadbitter
Trevor Ward
Introduction	80	(1)
Historical background	80	(2)
The dispute procedure	82	(1)
The New Zealand hoki dispute	82	(3)
Conclusions	85	(1)
MSC Chain-of-custody-Certification	86	(8)
Peter Scott
Introduction	86	(1)
Who is the typical MSC chain-of-custody certification client?	87	(1)
Where does chain-of-custody certification take place?	87	(2)
The MSC chain-of-custody certification process	89	(1)
The MSC chain-of-custody standard-requirements	89	(4)
How long does chain-of-custody certification last?	93	(1)
How much does chain-of-custody certification cost?	93	(1)
Case Study 1: The Western Rock Lobster	94	(26)
The Fishery and its Assessment	94	(1)
Bruce Phillips
Trevor Ward
Chet Chaffee
Introduction	94	(1)
The Western Australian management system	95	(2)
Stock assessment	97	(1)
The MSC assessment	97	(3)
Environmental issues	100	(1)
Learning outcomes from the assessment process	101	(2)
What Certification has Meant to the Department of Fisheries and the Industry	103	(1)
Peter Rogers
Ross Gould
Brett McCallum
The initial assessment process	103	(1)
Maintaining certification	104	(1)
Costs of certification	105	(1)
Benefits from certification	105	(2)
Conclusions	107	(2)
The WWF Perspective	109	(1)
Katherine Short
Introduction	109	(1)
The role of WWF and the MSC	109	(1)
Supporter and promoter of the MSC	110	(1)
Facilitator of stakeholder involvement	110	(1)
Commentator and monitor of fishery assessments and implementation of certification requirements	111	(1)
Summary overview	112	(8)
An Unsatisfactory Encounter with the MSC -- a Conservation Perspective	114	(6)
David Sutton
Case Study 2: The Alaska Salmon	120	(16)
The Commercial Fisheries	120	(1)
Chet Chaffee
Historic production of the salmon fishery	120	(1)
Alaska salmon management	121	(1)
The MSC assessment	122	(3)
Environmental issues	125	(1)
Stakeholder concerns	126	(1)
Outcomes from the assessment process	126	(3)
A Fishery Perspective	129	(1)
Robert Bosworth
Introduction	129	(3)
Alaska and the MSC	132	(1)
The MSC assessment	133	(1)
The salmon eco-label	134	(2)
Case Study 3: The Thames Herring Drift-net Fishery	136	(9)
Paul Medley
Paul Nichols
Introduction	136	(1)
Stock	136	(1)
Fishing activity	137	(1)
Post-harvest handling and distribution	138	(1)
Fishery management	138	(1)
Stock assessment	139	(1)
Stakeholder co-operation	139	(1)
Monitoring, control, surveillance and enforcement	140	(1)
Environmental issues	141	(1)
The MSC assessment	141	(2)
Conclusion	143	(2)
Case Study 4: The New Zealand Hoki	145	(17)
The Fishery	145	(1)
Edwin Aalders
Jo Akroyd
Trevor Ward
Introduction	145	(1)
The New Zealand fishery-management system	145	(3)
MSC principles and current fishery-management practice	148	(3)
Challenges and experiences	151	(2)
Dispute resolution	153	(1)
The WWF Perspective	154	(1)
Katherine Short
Introduction	154	(1)
Environmental NGO and New Zealand fishing politics	154	(1)
WWF's role and the MSC	155	(3)
Dispute resolution	158	(1)
Public perception	159	(2)
Conclusion	161	(1)
Community-based Certification: A Route to Sustainable Fisheries	162	(14)
Julia Novy-Hildesley
Katherine Short
Introduction	162	(1)
WWF's approach to certification of community fisheries	163	(1)
WWF's proposed methodology for community-based certification	164	(3)
Who is involved in community-based certification?	167	(1)
Motivation for certification in community-based fisheries	167	(2)
Benefits associated with certification in community-based fisheries	169	(1)
Obstacles to certification in community-based fisheries	170	(3)
Community-based certification in practice: a profile of the Seri people's Jaiba fishery, Mexico	173	(1)
The next steps for community-based certification	174	(1)
Conclusions	175	(1)
Is Eco-labelling Working?	176	(10)
An Overview	176	(1)
Volker Kuntzsch
Introduction	176	(1)
Implementation	177	(1)
Where are we now?	178	(1)
The next steps	179	(2)
Is Eco-labelling Working -- for Marine Ecosystems, WWF and the MSC?	181	(1)
Katherine Short
Introduction	181	(1)
Arresting the decline	182	(1)
Improving marine ecosystems	182	(2)
Conclusions	184	(2)
Conclusions	186	(6)
Trevor Ward
Bruce Phillips
Chet Chaffee
Introduction	186	(1)
The incentives	186	(1)
The outcomes	187	(2)
The issues	189	(3)
References	192	(3)
Index	195