ALASKA Pollack, which is being increasingly used by British seafood producers as an alternative to cod and haddock, has been deemed sustainable under the criteria developed by the Marine Stewardship by the international certification body, Moody Marine, and a team of three independent experts.
The evaluation of the fishery was conducted as part of the five-year recertification of Alaska Pollack under the MSC sustainability programme. Alaska Pollack is now consumed widely in the UK in fish fingers and in battered and breaded portions, as well as seafood ready meals.
Moody Marine reaffirmed that Alaska Pollack continues to be responsibly managed when measured against the rigorous MSC sustainability standard, recommending that Pollack products continue to be eligible to carry the MSC eco-label.
Fishery recertification is required every five years in the MSC programme. The fishery was first certified as sustainable in 2005, and has passed four annual audits since then. For recertification, Moody evaluated and approved the fishery on three MSC principles – the sustainability of the fish stocks; ensuring the structure, productivity, function and diversity of the ecosystem on which the fishery depends; and the effectiveness of the fishery management system to respond to changing circumstances and maintain sustainability. The comprehensive assessment of the fishery was peer reviewed by two additional independent experts prior to its issuance for public Jim Gilmore, Director of Public Affairs of the At-sea Processors Association, and client for the MSC certification said: "The fishery remains a model for how fisheries around the world should be managed."
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