California’s Sustainable Seafood Draft Protocols

Public Comment

Photos by Doug Perrine ©

Ocean Protection CouncilNovember 29, 2010, Sacramento

Support California = MSC +

• Generally support using the Marine Stewardship Council baseline with California criteria to raise the bar and fill the gaps

• 80 percent score or above for Endangered, Threatened and Protected Species

• 80 percent score or above for fish stock status• Sustainability – set high bar for CA fisheries

funded for certification with public funds

Protected species and Sustainable Seafood – Zero bycatch

Pacific loggerhead – Endangered Uplisting Underway80 percent decline since 1980s – fishery bycatch a major contributor

Pacific leatherback – Endangered90 percent decline since 1980s – fishery bycatch a major contributor

Raise the bar – 100 score – no bycatch –Marine Mammal Protection Act• Loss of one animal could be significant• Leatherbacks, loggerheads, marine mammals such as dolphins, sea lions,

whales need to be protected for true sustainability• Most California fisheries don’t harm protected marine wildlife• California Drift Gill Net Fishery for Swordfish most likely to harm sea turtles• 1 leatherback observed in 2009 = 6 mortalities in 3 years and 9 entanglements

in 3 years. • More than 50 percent total bycatch in CA drift gillnet fishery

Fishery Assessment and Traceability

Generally support with these recommendations:• CA fishery Pre-Assessment Results – Make public• Fishery Assessment Review – Add Peer Review• Fish Toxicity Testing – Mercury and PCBs - important

• Mercury testing in CA in 2010, supermarkets and sushi bars found half the swordfish above 1 ppm; nearly all above .5

• Add Bycatch levels to gear type, etc.• Add Carbon “finprint” – California leadership on

reducing greenhouse gases

Ocean Protection CouncilPlease Set High Bar for Eco-labeling of

California Fisheries

Thank you for protecting our oceans, sea turtles and fisheries!

Teri Shore, Program Director, tshore@tirn.net415-663-8590, ext. 104Dr. Chris Pincetich, Marine Campaigner, chris@tirn.net, Ext. 102