Maine lobster MSC-Certified, finally!

First published in Landings, April, 2013.

On March 10, Governor Paul LePage announced that the Maine lobster fishery had received the prestigious international Marine Stewardship Council’s (MSC) Sustainable Seafood Certification. MSC certification recognizes ecologically sound practices, from harvest of the species through delivery to consumer. Certification provides a competitive advantage in marketing to the growing number of retailers and consumers around the world who place a premium on seafood harvested in an environmentally responsible, sustainable manner.

The Governor made the announcement at the International Boston Seafood Show. “The Marine Stewardship Council’s certification will provide the Maine lobster industry with a globally-recognized seal of approval,” said the Governor. “This certification recognizes our longstanding practices of good stewardship and ensures that every lobster caught in Maine waters can be marketed not only as delicious, healthy food, but also as a resource that meets the most stringent international environmental standard for seafood sustainability.”

Maine Lobstermen’s association executive director Patrice McCarron said the decision is well-deserved and welcome news. “The MSC certification is no silver bullet, but it gives us another tool in the toolbox, another reason to be proud about Maine lobster. Most importantly, it gives customers another reason to purchase Maine lobster,” said McCarron. “This is going to be positive for the industry overall.”

“The sustainability of lobster was the best-kept secret in seafood,” said John Hathaway, president of Shucks Lobster Company in Richmond. Hathaway and Perfect Maine Lobster founder Linda Bean oversaw the four-year certification process. The two raised the initial $150,000 to get the certification process under way and, according to Hathaway, have so far paid the entire $300,000-plus cost of the certification process. “You can now put an eco-label on the product if you think it’s important to the customer,” he continued.

Efforts to support marketing for the Maine lobster have received widespread support in the wake of last season when supply exceeded demand, resulting in the lowest per pound price in more than twenty years. “This places greater emphasis on the need for effective marketing and highlights the unique marketing advantage MSC certification provides,” said governor LePage.

The Marine stewardship Council is the premier international certification program for wild-capture fisheries. MSC certification is the only seafood certification program that meets all the major international standards on sustainable fishing, ecosystem protection, and eco-labeling. Currently, more than 100 fisheries worldwide are MSC certified.

To achieve MSC certification, fisheries are assessed based on a rigorous set of standards that include the health of the fish stock, marine ecosystem protection, and the effectiveness of fishery management. Within these core areas are 31 performance indicators used by accredited independent, third-party certification bodies to evaluate a fishery applying for certification.

The MSC certification program includes a process for tracing each certified lobster to its location of origin, Maine waters, which is key to protecting the Maine brand. “This global certification program will open new markets worldwide and, just as important, provide the means to trace our certified lobsters, no matter where in the world they end up, back to waters of Maine,” said Governor LePage.