David Suzuki Foundation, Marine Scene Issue 12

Will British Columbia sockeye salmon be MSC certified?

The David Suzuki Foundation is participating in a technical review of the draft Marine Stewardship Council assessment of B.C. sockeye salmon fisheries. The draft assessment is available for public comment until November 30. We encourage you to have a look and provide your feedback.

The Foundation has some concerns with the assessment, particularly in how the impact on non-target species and stock was assessed, especially for populations identified as Species At Risk. B.C. sockeye salmon are currently ranked as “yellow” with some concerns by SeaChoice Canada. We recommend that sockeye should be consumed infrequently or when a green choice is not available.

The Marine Stewardship Council is an international organization that certifies fisheries based on their impacts to targeted species, the maintenance of ecosystem integrity, and whether effective fisheries-management systems are in place.

Dragging our assets

The David Suzuki Foundation recently released a report by sustainable fisheries analyst Scott Wallace on bottom-trawl fishing in Canada. Dragging Our Assets: Toward an Ecosystem Approach to Bottom Trawling in Canada addresses Canada’s approach, or lack thereof, in protecting our oceans and fulfilling our international agreements. Bottom trawling, in which large nets are dragged across the ocean floor, is notorious for destroying seafloor habitats, consuming high levels of energy, and capturing many non-targeted fish that are discarded as bycatch. Fisheries and Oceans Canada is considering the impacts of fishing gear used on the bottom, but Canada is still falling short of international best practices.

The Foundation’s recommendations include creating an interim moratorium on trawling in oxygen-poor environments and prohibiting the expansion of bottom trawling in frontier areas, in keeping with international resolutions that Canada has signed. Read more about our recommendations here.

David Suzuki Foundation sustainable fisheries analyst Dr. Scott Wallace has a PhD in Conservation Biology from the University of British Columbia. His research interests include fisheries impacts on marine ecosystems, the use of marine protected areas as a tool for fisheries management, ecosystem-based fisheries management, and the conservation of marine species at risk.

Did you know thatsalmon play an important role in fertilizing the forests? Many animals, including bears and birds, feed on spawning salmon and transfer their nitrogen-rich remains to the forest floor where they decay and fertilize trees and plants. This amazing life cycle clearly illustrates that salmon often do a better job than humans in maintaining and enhancing their habitat.

Public urged to help protect salmon habitat

Zoned RS-1 and High and Dry are two recent publications from the David Suzuki Foundation that focus on protecting salmon habitat. Zoned RS-1 (Residential Salmon-1) is a light-hearted publication with serious intent designed to encourage municipal governments and regional districts in B.C. to use zoning regulations to help protect the places where salmon and other fish live.

High and Dry details nine instances of salmon-habitat destruction in B.C. Our investigators found that Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s response in each case was inadequate. In order to get governments to take stronger measures to protect fish habitat, we need your help. We believe that all levels of government must work together with citizens to protect Canada’s fish habitats wherever they may be. We urge you to use these publications and work with your community and local governments to create urban environments that support both people and fish. It is also urgent that the federal government understands the immediate need to empower DFO staff to protect salmon habitat.

For more information, or for printed or electronic copies of both Zoned RS-1 and High and Dry, please contact us or visit our website.

What Can You Do??

Write a letter to federal Fisheries and Oceans Minister Loyola Hearn urging the government to stand up for salmon with strong habitat legislation. Visit our website to view a sample letter or, even better, send a paperless message!

For the love of fish: Culinary voices for sustainable Choices!

SeaChoice is taking a unique approach to raising local awareness about sustainable fisheries and ocean health by hosting the first annual “For the Love of Fish: Culinary Voices for Sustainable Choices” seafood cooking competition.

Vancouver’s top restaurant chefs and culinary schools will compete in a sustainable-seafood cook-off at the Art Institute of Vancouver on November 17. The dishes will be judged based on taste, originality, technique, and sustainability of the chosen seafood. The event will highlight the Vancouver culinary community’s efforts to “go green” by showcasing how tasty sustainable seafood can be. For more information regarding SeaChoice and the outcome of this event, please visit SeaChoice.

Redfish - Greenfish: Smart Seafood Choices for Healthy Oceans

Greenfish: Steelhead Trout, farmed in closed systems

Despite its misleading name, steelhead trout is actually one of the seven species of Pacific salmon native to the northwest coast of North America. Wild steelhead trout exhibit an anadromous life history, meaning that they spend part of their life in the ocean before returning to freshwater to spawn. There is no commercial food fishery for steelhead, but these fish can be farmed sustainably in closed freshwater or in seawater systems. According to SeaChoice, farmed steelhead trout is a “Best Choice” and can be enjoyed sustainably as an alternative to other salmon species that are currently not managed efficiently. Warning: some Ontario producers are moving their operations to open net cages in the Great Lakes. This is not sustainable, so if you live in central Canada, ask about the source.

Redfish: Atlantic Salmon, farmed

Atlantic salmon are red-listed by SeaChoice as a species to avoid. Unlike steelhead trout, Atlantic salmon is farmed in a way that places stress on the marine environment while threatening wild salmon stocks. Until farming methods move to closed systems, we urge you to only purchase sustainable wild or farmed alternatives.