Fisheries Scientists Launch Independent Effort to Expand Sustainable Practices to Africa, Asia
In the weekend leading up to the SeaWeb Seafood Summit, some of the most renowned global fisheries scientists came together to form an independent advisory organization called I-FIN. I-FIN is the acronym for the International Fisheries Information Network. The organization is the result of year-long working group of a team of scientists led by well known fisheries expert Professor Ray Hilborn. I-FIN hopes to be a global resource on where fisheries are being managed successfully, why they’re successful, and how those successes can be adopted elsewhere. "We’ve got a team of people who can provide the most authoritative, scientific advice on what’s happening in global fisheries, and what has been shown to work to improve the performance of fisheries,” said Dr. Hilborn, who is a professor of marine science at the University of Washington.
The 2017 Seafood Champion Awards were also announced this week in Seattle during the Seafood Summit. The annual awards recognize individuals and organizations for excellence in promoting ocean health and responsible practices with honors in four categories: leadership, innovation, vision and advocacy. The Seafood Champion Award for leadership went to Susi Pudjiastuti, Indonesia’s Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries. FISH-i Africa won the award for innovation. Monterey Bay Aquarium Executive Chef Matthew Beaudin won the award for vision and the advocacy award was given to International Pole & Line Foundation and Ned Bell, the Ocean Wise executive chef at the Vancouver Aquarium and founder of Chefs for Oceans.
In other news, fifty major seafood companies, five governments and nineteen NGOs committed to the Tuna 2020 Traceability Declaration in New York this week. The agreement assures that the participating companies will create fully traceable supply chains all the way back to the vessels. The pledge also guarantees that slavery and labor violations will be eliminated from the tuna industry and that the fisheries will be managed using science-based plans. Finally, the companies agree to a government partnership in order to achieve the goals.
Meanwhile, the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program now recognizes BAP-certified shrimp, tilapia, pangasius and mussels as a Good Alternative for consumers according to the Monterey Bay’s latest benchmark report. Two-, three- and four-star BAP tilapia, two-, three- and four-star BAP pangasius; three- and four-star BAP shrimp; and mussels from a BAP-certified farm are included on the list of products from third-party certification programs that it recommends to consumers, each equivalent to a yellow Good Alternative rating.
Finally, a budget compromise proposed by Alaska Governor Bill Walker was rejected by the coalition majority that runs the state House. Speaker of the House Bryce Edgmon said the governor is on the wrong track with a proposal that would slash the state deficit from about $2.7 billion per year to about $300 million per year. He said the House Majority will continue to support a strategy that eliminates the entire deficit within three years. The state has until June 30 to come up with a budget or face a shutdown starting on July 3.
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