The possible listing of certain portions of Canada’s famed Fraser River sockeye run as endangered presents an unprecedented challenge for the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC).

While 13 fisheries over the years have had their MSC certification suspended for various reasons, none has been suspended because a government designated a fishery resource endangered.

And while we are likely a long way from the Canadian government deciding on whether portions of the Fraser river run are indeed endangered, last week's recommendations by Canada's Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) represent a new low for the fishery that was first certified to the MSC standard almost a decade ago.