The MSC approach to low trophic level fisheries

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The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) released a new Fishery Assessment Methodology (FAM) in 2009. Several low trophic level (LTL) fisheries have already been certified within the MSC programme, and several more are under assessment, including Gulf of California sardine and an Antarctic krill fishery. Although the FAM makes special reference to requirements for assessing the sustainability of LTL fisheries, some stakeholders questioned whether further guidance or modification to requirements were required. In response, the MSC established a Low Trophic Level Fisheries Working Group in July 2009 to address this issue. The Working Group has held two workshops of stakeholders to discuss issues concerning certification of LTL fisheries, including selection of appropriate reference points and harvest strategies, appropriate spatial management strategies for central place foragers, and considering the impacts of environmental forcing. As part of the review process, the Working Group commissioned a scientific study to evaluate the impacts of fishing LTL species on other parts of the ecosystem. The scientific study used existing ecosystem models for a range of fishery ecosystems to evaluate the impacts of fishing LTL species on their predators and prey, and on other parts of the ecosystem. Although the results of this scientific study are aligned with the review process, the approach and outcomes are very relevant to the management of LTL fisheries in the absence of MSC assessment and certification. The outcomes of the public consultation and the scientific study will be presented and their implications discussed.