Since our last newsletter in January of this year, in the Americas region four fisheries were certified, one was recertified, one expanded its scope and two entered full assessment. Details on each are below including which fishery was named the 200th MSC certified fishery.

Certification updates:

• The Newfoundland and Labrador snow crab fishery, the province’s highest value fishery and one of Canada’s most valuable fisheries, became the 200th fishery to achieve MSC certification.
• The first Atlantic halibut fishery achieved MSC certification. The fishery is located off the coasts of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador in Canada.
• Day Boat Seafood, based in Florida, USA, received certification for the U.S. North Atlantic swordfish pelagic longline and handgear buoy line fishery. Day Boat Seafood was previously awarded MSC certification for the Southeast U.S. North Atlantic swordfish and that unit of certification will now be included in this certification.
• The iconic Maine lobster fishery in the United States achieved MSC certification and Maine Governor Paul LePage announced the news at the Boston Seafood Show in March.
• Oregon pink shrimp on the West coast of the United States, the world’s first shrimp fishery to be MSC certified, achieved recertification.
• The U.S. Atlantic spiny dogfish fishery certified in August 2012 expanded the scope of its certification to cover the remaining offshore areas of five states in the region: Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland.

Assessment updates:

• The Narody Severa and Bolsheretsk pink, chum, sockeye, and coho salmon fishery operating in the Sea of Okhotsk and Western Kamchatka, Russia entered into full assessment.
• The Argentine Patagonian toothfish fishery operating in Argentine Federal Continental Shelf waters began the full assessment process.