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Lobster fishery. (Photo Credit: Eduardo Lima/seaturtle.org)
Sea Pact Announces New Grant Recipients
(UNITED STATES, 3/27/2014)
Sea Pact, a non-profit aimed at improving the fishing and fish farming systems to make the seafood industry a more sustainable and eco-friendly one, has announced the two recipients of their most recent grants: Brazilian lobster FIP (fishery improvement project) and a unique project aimed at improving the sustainability of the soft shell clam industry in Maine.
This funding will be used to support a traceability system and highlight legally trap-caught lobsters in Brazil. The second grant will be used to reduce the rapid decline of natural clam populations by focusing on predator exclusion (green crab) and habitat modification in Maine.
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| Panulirus argus. (Photo Credit: Douglas Whitaker/GNU License) |
Red lobster (Panulirus argus) and green lobster (Panulirus laevicauda), represent the most important fishing resources of northern and north-eastern Brazil. The fishery exports mainly to the US market, and provides a livelihood for more than 15,000 fishermen.
This FIP was launched two years ago, triggered by a UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) study about supply chains in the agriculture and fisheries sectors. UNEP entered in a partnership with CeDePesca (Centre for Development and Sustainable Fisheries), which is coordinating the improvement work in the field with local industry and fishermen.
An MSC (Marine Stewardship Council) pre-assessment was conducted and revealed a variety of problems, with the most crucial being the widespread use of illegal fishing gear.
Sea Pact funding will be used to implement a traceability system paired with a branding project that highlights legally trap-caught lobsters.
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Soft-shell clam harvest.
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The hope is this will encourage fishermen to organize and work together to build a legal, verified, and branded product that will gain better US market recognition and will encourage other fishermen to move towards legal (and more sustainable) fishing methods.
Funding is also being used to support a project in Freeport, ME, designed to engage soft-shell clam (Mya arenaria) harvesters in active management projects that will demonstrate the efficacy of various methods to enhance natural clam populations.
The practical goal is to increase clam harvests so that supply can grow with demand for this product, however a more long-term goal is to create a “new mindset” amongst clammers and local clam stewardship committees to see beyond traditional conservation schemes.
New efforts focusing on predator (green crab) exclusion and habitat modification that will result in the enhancement of wild a cultured “spat”.
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| Soft-shell clam harvest. (Photo Credit: maineoceanlover.blogspot.co.uk) |
About Sea Pact
Albion Fisheries, Fortune Fish & Gourmet, Ipswich Shellfish Group, Santa Monica Seafood, Seacore Seafood and Seattle Fish Co. are the founding members of Sea Pact and share an active progressive approach to their sustainability commitments.
In addition to the founding members, the group includes Stavis Seafood, JJ McDonnell and A.C. Covert. Sea Pact works with New Venture Fund and receives sustainability counsel from non-profit organizations FishWise and Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP). Sea Pact is a project under New Venture Funds 501c3 non-profit status.
Source: Sea Pact
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Margaret E.L. Stacey
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editorial@seafood.media
www.seafood.media
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