Following the MSC Disputes Process, the Alaska salmon fishery will move forward with its reassessment following a final decision by an independent adjudicator (IA).
The Alaska salmon fishery entered re-assessment in November 2022; the fishery’s fifth assessment against the MSC Fishery Standard. Following a comprehensive assessment of the fishery, the independent assessor recommended the fishery proceed to certification. The fisheries assessment process is a public process and engaged stakeholders have a number of opportunities to engage throughout, including the opportunity to file an objection to the assessor’s decision. In this case, two objections were filed.
An objection filed by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds was resolved by all parties. An objection by the Raincoast Conservation Foundation and SkeenaWild Conservation Trust was not able to be resolved and moved forward to adjudication, managed by an independent adjudicator.
On October 30, 2024, following the process outlined in the MSC Disputes Process, the independent adjudicator determined that the assessor could proceed to certify the fishery.
The assessor will now complete the assessment process and publish the public certification report in the coming days, resulting in recertification of the fishery.
The MSC objections procedure is an important part of ensuring the independence and rigor of the MSC fisheries assessment process. It offers a structured process for stakeholders to provide input and resolve alleged errors in the Final Draft Report. The process is transparent, and all relevant documents are posted online.
The MSC maintains impartiality to certification decisions through an independent certification program; the MSC itself neither assesses nor certifies fisheries. Third-party assessments are independent, unbiased and offer the highest level of assurance that standards are being adhered to. Certificates are issued by certifiers who are independently accredited to perform assessments of fisheries against the MSC standards. The Notice of Objection is reviewed by an independent adjudicator – a legal expert in resolution and regulation. The MSC is similarly not involved in the objections process.
The fishery remains certified while the process is completed.