NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENCE COUNCIL • November 18, 2022
We as consumers must be able to trust ecolabels if they are to retain their value as a tool that help us make sustainable choices. The decision made by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)—arguably the best recognized sustainable seafood certification program—to suspend its certification of Gulf of Maine lobster due to the risk the fishery poses to critically endangered North Atlantic right whales is an important step towards regaining that trust. The suspension of the certification of Gulf of Maine lobster by MSC follows the law and the science. Thankfully entanglement of whales is a conservation issue we can solve. The Gulf of Maine lobster fishery has an opportunity to potentially regain its certification as a sustainable seafood choice in the future by advancing ropeless fishing systems.