World's first MSC-certified rec fishery

The WA state recreational-fishing body Recfishwest has announced a most unusual world first by taking the first step towards gaining a Marine Stewardship’s Council (MSC's) tick of approval for a local recreational fishing. 

The MSC tick is a marketing tool usually reserved for commercial fisheries, so consumers are better informed about purchasing decisions of fresh seafood and the hopefully sustainable fisheries behind them.

"Recfishwest supports the independent MSC assessment of WA fisheries
against sustainability standards based on target species, ecosystems and
management practices, especially as recreational fishers value
environmental performance highly," Recfishwest CEO Dr Andrew Rowland said.

MANDURAH CRABS TICK THE BOXES
In
partnership with the Mandurah Licenced Fisherman Association, Recfishwest is
entering the recreational and commercial Mandurah crab fishery for a
full MSC assessment.

"If accreditation is achieved, this will be the first recreational fishery worldwide to gain an MSC certification," Dr Andrew said.

"Having
the Mandurah crab fishery assessed under this certification, recognises
the regional significance of this species, and will improve the
stewardship of the estuarine environment on which the stock depends," Dr
Rowland claims.

"This it is something Recfishwest is proud to stand by and is a great step forward for fishery protection."

WA Fisheries Minister Ken Baston's announcement at the Mandurah Crab Fest in March that both the commercial and recreational crab fisheries, in a world-first collaboration, would seek MSC certification.

WHAT IS THE MSC TICK?
The MSC’s science-based standard is recognised worldwide as the gold standard in independent, third party certification-based on sustainable fish stocks, minimising environmental impact and effective management.

In 2013, the State Government committed $14.5 million to have all of WA’s 47 commercial fisheries independently assessed with the aim of having every WA fishery meet the MSC standard within the next two decades.

Recfishwest says it is a key partner in the State Government initiative, which assesses the environmental standard for sustainable fishing, and advocates for sustainable fishing resources and policies that ensure long-term benefits to WA’s recreational fishing sector.

Hopefully, this isn't some kind of forerunner for recreational fisheries elsewhere, as we anglers fish by science-based bag and size limits that don't require some kind of third-party tick of approval from a marketing arm. After all, there is not recreational fishery in Australia today that is deemed unsustainable.