Courtesy of SeafoodNews.com:
Squid purse seiners and processors in California hope to gain a Marine Stewardship Council advantage.
The California Market Squid Producers Alliance purse seine fishery, MSC and MRAG Americas announced Wednesday that an assessment has begun for the fishery. An on-site site visit will begin in San Pedro, Calif., on January 9, 2023, according to a notice from the MSC and MRAG Americas.
The assessment will evaluate the fishery for compliance with the MSC’s Standard for well-managed and sustainable fisheries. As part of the assessment, MRAG Americas said stakeholder meetings and assessment of relevant documentation will be undertaken with a visit to the fishery in January 2023. The purpose of the meetings is to receive information from fishery representatives, government management agencies, non- governmental organizations and other interested stakeholders.
Along with the notice, the MSC said the Announcement Comment Draft Report is also available for comment for a 60-day period. Any stakeholder wishing to comment on the report can contact MRAG Americas no later than 5 p.m. UTC (9 a.m. Pacific Standard Time) on Dec. 12, 2022.
Stakeholders who would like to submit information or request a meeting with the assessment team are asked to do so by 5 p.m. UTC (9 a.m. PST) on December 12, 2022. To be considered as a registered stakeholder, those interested must provide written input on the Announcement Comment Draft Report using the ‘MSC Template for Stakeholder Input into Fishery Assessments’ or attend the site visit, in person or remotely. Per established rules, only registered stakeholders may provide input or comment on future stages of the assessment.
“MRAG Americas was contracted by the Cal Marine Fish Company to undertake a fishery assessment for the California market squid fishery using purse seine gear type. This Announcement Comment Draft Report … sets out the results of a preliminary desk review of this fishery against the Marine Stewardship Council … Fisheries Standard, v2.01,” the Draft Report says.
The fishery has one Unit of Assessment, California market squid (Doryteuthis [formerly Loligo] opalescens), off the west coast of the United States and Mexico, according to the Draft Report.
The assessment team includes Ms. Erin Wilson, team lead; Ms. Amanda Stern-Pirlot; and Mr. Tom Jagielo.
More information about the fishery, including relevant documents, can be found here.