Russia’s longliners chase Marine Stewardship Council certification for more Pacific cod

Russia’s Longline Fishery Association (LFA) is seeking Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification for the Sea of Okhotsk Pacific cod longline fishery, a move that would bring much-needed additional certified whitefish to the market.

A pre-assessment audit of the LFA’s Pacific cod fishery in four subzones, including North Kuril, Kamchatka-Kuril, South Kuril and West Kamchatka, was completed in December 2020.

The total volume of cod under this MSC assessment is around 5,908 metric tons, or around 15.5 percent of Russia’s total allowable catch (TAC) in the three areas.