Canada’s First Marine Stewardship Council Certified Fishery

OTTAWA, ONTARIO–(EMWNews – Aug. 19, 2008) – The Honourable Loyola Hearn, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, today issued the following statement:

I want to extend my personal congratulations to the Association of Seafood Producers, who after almost two years of hard work have seen the northern prawn trawl fishery become the first Canadian fishery certified by the Marine Stewardship Council.

In addition to being the first in Canada, I am proud to note that this is the largest MSC certified shrimp fishery in the world.

Our government has made important investments to ensure responsible and sustainable management decisions are taken by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), but government is only one part of the big picture. That’s why it’s so important to recognize efforts by private industry and independent third parties who share our commitment to conservation and sustainable use of the fishery.

I want to congratulate Derek Butler and his team, and everyone who has been involved in this important milestone.

For more information on MSC’s environmental standard for sustainable fishing, please visit: http://www.msc.org/about-us/standards/msc-environmental-standard.