Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Oceana: 'Sustainable' argument falls flat for flatfish

Do the huge trawl fisheries for flounder and sole in the Gulf of Alaska and the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands merit the Marine Stewardship Council's label as sustainable seafood harvests?

The conservation group Oceana doesn't think so, as it explains in this press release.

"Last year these flatfish draggers killed and wasted almost 8 million pounds of halibut and tens of millions of pounds of other species," writes Oceana biologist Jon Warrenchuk.

He adds: "How can that waste be construed as sustainable?"

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

A move like this by the MSC just makes MSC certification a joke. This is the wrong move.

Wiglaf said...

Tholepin covered it long before the time ran out to comment. Not that it would do you a bit of good.

Anonymous said...

Many others sent letters to object the MSC move on flats. Filthiest fishery their is around Kodiak. Working fishermen know this measure guided by Al, and Julie....same names different crime.

Anonymous said...

what about the trolling happening down around the tip of Attu Island? The Sitka operation purchases salmon that are immature from the findings I got about their Hook and Line business. This is what I would call a intercepted fisheries operations before the salmon are able to mature enough to make it back to their spawning grounds to the Arctic, Yukon and Kuskokwim rivers. Who knows they might even be intercepting salmon that migrate back to other locations like to Bristol Bay, Kodiak and the Southeastern spawning grounds.

Anonymous said...

By the way, no trolling is allowed by Alaska regulation west of Cape Suckling. Do you have any idea what you are talking about?

Anonymous said...

Trolling YES Trawling NO. Spelling people,get it right.