It might sound like a whopper of a fish story — but Alaska salmon is not good enough for Wal-Mart or the U.S. National Park Service.
The reason? Alaska’s wild caught salmon does not brandish a specific eco-label verifying that it is sustainably managed — as determined by two Outside groups: the London-based Marine Stewardship Council, or MSC, or the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California.
Alaska’s seafood industry recently opted out of high-priced eco-endorsements from elsewhere, believing the State’s brand of fisheries oversight can stand on its own merit. But without the MSC stamp of approval, customers won’t find Alaska salmon in Wal-Mart’s super stores, and the Park Service is requiring that all food vendors at its parks and monuments, etc., can only serve seafood endorsed by those private enterprises.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski blasted the Park Service for ignoring federal guidelines that state “the government does not endorse any particular labeling or documentation program over another.”
To read the rest of the story, please go to: Alaska Journal of Commerce
