Marine Stewardship Certification
Third Australian Fishery Certified For MSC Certification
Lakes and Coorong fishery in South Australia becomes the 3rd in Australia & 27th Fishery in the world certified to the MSC’s standard for sustainable fisheries.
The Marine Stewardship Council welcomes the Lakes and Coorong fishery. The recommendation as made by one of the MSC’s accredited, independent certification bodies and follows an intensive process of scrutiny of all aspects of the operation of the fishery.
The fishery operates in the lakes and beaches of the Coorong region, at the entrance to the Murray River in South Australia. Four species have been found to meet the MSC Standard – Golden Perch (callop), Pipis (Goolwa cockles), Mulloway and Yellow eye mullet. The species supply key domestic markets in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney and there is a growing export market for the pipis.
President of the Southern Fishermen’s Association, Garry Hera-Singh stated “Pursuing Marine Stewardship Council Certification was part of the Southern Fishermen’s Associations’ commitment to its objectives of economical, ecological and social responsibility. To underpin the sustainability of the fishery by an independent third party was vital to demonstrate to the people of South Australia that the fishers of the Lakes and Coorong Fishery are responsible stewards of the resource.”
He went on to say “We believe that MSC certification is the way of the future for commercial fisheries of Australia.”
The Lakes and Coorong fishery joins a rapidly expanding family of fisheries worldwide that has sought certification and is tapping into the growing demand for certified sustainable seafood. The wide variation in size of these fisheries (ranging in production from 10 tonnes up to 1.5 million tones) demonstrates that the MSC system is suited to fisheries of all sizes.
WWF-Australia and WWF-US provided support to the fishery throughout the process. "The Lakes and Coorong mixed fishery is the first community-based fishery certified in Australia, and WWF hopes that the Southern Fisherman's Association's achievements encourage other fisheries in the region to show their commitment to sustainable fishing practices by applying for MSC certification," said Meredith Lopuch, deputy director of WWF's Sustainable Seafood Initiative. "Congratulations to SFA on their great accomplishment."
In welcoming the recommendation the MSC’s Asia Pacific Regional director, Duncan Leadbitter said “This significantly expands the range of MSC labeled product in Australia. Consumers who now want certified sustainable seafood now have a choice of 5 domestic products sold fresh plus 6 imported products suitable for a wide range of purposes including fine dining, salads and children meals, amongst others.”
Contact details:
Garry Hera-Singh, President SFA
Mob: 0428596460
or
Tracy Hill, Vice- President SFA
Mob: 0427604047