"Fishermen are worried a certification row will confuse consumers, says Jane Rankin-Reid in Saturday's Mercury newspaper.

Fishermen are unhappy with radio advertisements sponsored by the Marine Stewardship Council promoting their March 2nd "Sustainable Seafood Day". "Buy only sustainable seafood products branded with the MSC gold label", the advertisement urges listeners.

“Seafood Experience Australia has concerns that the Australian community is being grossly misled by many of the Conservationist groups and, in particular, by the recent advertisements of the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and statements from the Australian Marine Conservation Society� said Company Secretary, Bob Cox.

A NEW project by the Australian Seafood Cooperative Research Centre (Seafood CRC) is about to open new pathways in the United States, the Middle East and Europe for premium, “Clean Green” Southern Rocklobsters (SR).

Eat more seafood to reduce mental health problems Eat more seafood to reduce mental health problems - says international expert
ONE of the world’s most highly respected experts in human nutrition and brain function has urged greater consumption of seafood to reverse the growth of mental health problems in developed nations.

Lobster fishery denied MSC eco-label
London - 08/08/07 -Independent certifier Moody Marine has recommended that the North Eastern Sea Fisheries Committee (NESFC) [1] Lobster fishery should not be certified as sustainable. This is the first fishery to fail a full assessment against the Marine Stewardship Council’s (MSC’s) [2] environmental standard for sustainable and well-managed fisheries.

FDA Detains Imports of Farm-Raised Chinese Seafood
Products Have Repeatedly Contained Potentially Harmful Residues
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today announced a broader import control of all farm-raised catfish, basa, shrimp, dace (related to carp), and eel from China. FDA will start to detain these products at the border until the shipments are proven to be free of residues from drugs that are not approved in the United States for use in farm-raised aquatic animals

CHINA has turned away 30 tonnes of frozen seafood from Australia that was tainted with
heavy metals, state television reported today, as the quality and safety of China's own

Catching and aquaculture




The discard question

One of the biggest, if not the biggest issue, which the Fishing Industry has to face over the next few years is the commitment of the European Union to reduce, even eliminate, discarding at sea i.e. the dumping overboard of dead or unwanted fish caught as a by-catch.

A groundbreaking fishing industry initiative will see some of New Zealand’s most significant and exciting underwater habitats protected from bottom-trawling and dredging, Fisheries Minister Jim Anderton announced today.

Superchilling methods are being developed by Norwegian scientists to extend the shelf life of fish and meat, while reducing storage and transport costs.

February 19, 2007
Findings Verify Safety and Value of Higher Maternal Fish Intake
Results of landmark study refute US seafood-consumption advisories and indicate that pregnant/nursing mothers need to eat more fish, not less
by Craig Weatherby