MRAG Americas, a third-party assessor responsible for monitoring fisheries’ conformance with the MSC Fishery Standard, today announced that the Gulf of Maine lobster fishery’s MSC certificate will be suspended. The suspension will be effective December 15, 2022, 30 days after the notice of suspension, at which point Gulf of Maine lobster will not be eligible to be sold as MSC certified sustainable or carry the MSC blue fish ecolabel on products.
The Gulf of Maine lobster fishery was first certified in December 2016.
Federal protections for right whales in question
Over the last decade, climate-driven shifts in habitats and food sources have impacted right whale migration patterns, contributing to more interactions between right whales, fishing gear, and shipping vessels.
This serious and tragic situation is of grave concern to all those involved in the fishing industry, and to the MSC.
To read the rest of the story, please go to: Marine Stewardship Council
