Pacific cod from the Gulf of Alaska may lose its Marine Stewardship Council sustainability certification in the coming months as a result of a decline in the stock, according to the organization.
“The Gulf of Alaska Pacific cod fishery is currently undergoing an expedited audit against the MSC fisheries standard following new information from the National Marine Fishery Service showing that the Gulf of Alaska Pacific cod stock had declined to less than B20,” said MSC Senior Public Relations Manager Jackie Marks. “This resulted in closure of the federal Gulf of Alaska Pacific cod fishery by federal fisheries managers, effective January 2020. This information triggered an expedited audit of the fishery’s MSC certification status, which is currently being undertaken by the conformity assessment body.”
The results of the expected audit will likely be available in March 2020. In addition to closing the federal cod fishery in the gulf, a smaller fishery managed by the state of Alaska has been reduced drastically.
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