Antarctic toothfish certified as sustainable

Friday 19 November

The world’s leading programme for environmental certification of seafood has given Ross Sea Antarctic toothfish the green light.

The fishery has met the Marine Stewardship Council’s (MSC) independently-assessed standard for sustainable and well-managed fisheries, scoring an average of 89.7 out of a possible 100 points across a range of sustainability criteria.

It has been subject to an intensive review process, including two years of analysis and peer review and another full year of objections and review by an independent adjudicator, says Sealord’s GM International Fishing, Ross Tocker.

“We welcome this level of scrutiny because ensuring sustainability is the bedrock of our business. The MSC process provides the most rigorous process available, and it needs to be – if it were easy it would be meaningless.

“The MSC is the world’s leading environmental certifier of seafood. We are pleased the programme’s independent assessors have recognised the careful and precautionary management of this fishery.”

Antarctic toothfish is governed by the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), which regulates all fishing in the Antarctic region.

“CCAMLR’s current permitted level of fishing for Antarctic toothfish is set at a precautionary limit which maintains the population at a significantly higher level than used for many other certified fisheries. This is an acknowledgement that the fishery is still being developed and there is a need for greater scientific knowledge. The Antarctic marine environment is acknowledged as being of special importance.”

Antarctic toothfish brought New Zealand $18 million in export earnings for the year ended June 2010. Major markets are in the US, Canada, Europe and Japan.

There are four New Zealand vessels in the fishery. The New Zealand companies involved are Sanford, Sealord and Talley’s.

The certification is for a period of five years and is subject to periodic review against an agreed action plan.

ENDS

BUDGET 2012:
Parliament Debate Live - Video Of Budget 2011
Keith Ng Interactive Graphic: How the Budget Breaks Down
BUDGET 2012 - FULL COVERAGE: Reports / Analysis - Press Kit - Reaction (from everybody) - Previews (from everybody) - Pre-Budget Announcements

Gordon Campbell: On the Budget’s Spreadsheet Victories

It wasn’t as if expectations were sky high, exactly. Chances are, it was always more likely that we’d be seeing Bigfoot rampage through the Beehive lock-up than catch a glimpse of a credible growth agenda from this government. More >>

Sludge Budget Report - Short The Dollar! MEMO: To international bankers FROM: C.D. Sludge Please short the dollar! It'll be good for both you and us. And you know you want to. Greexit, Eurogeddon... watch out... flight to quality and all that. Follow your instincts. The NZ Debt Management Office has been so surprised at the unprecedentedly low interest rates that it can borrow at that it has already entirely pre-funded the 2013 fiscal deficit - all $8 billion of it! More >>

Pattrick Smellie Comment: Doddling along the best we can hope for Criticising Budgets for lacking vision or imagination is like shooting fish in a barrel, but even so, this year's Budget again feels like a missed opportunity. Perhaps it's the intrusion of real world needs that means the government couldn't make better political use of the $558.8 million it expects to gather in its first partial asset sale. More >>