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Friedrich Schiller would turn in his grave. First of all they misappropriated his curls to give smoked spurdog a fancy name, and then they overfished this species to such an extent that it ended up on the "Red List".
Confused? Spurdog is the name for the spiny dogfish, a small shark (Squalus acanthias). The bonefree back portions of this fish are sold as "sea eel" in Germany. The two belly portions are also processed; their characteristic curly form is due to the smoking process. Inventive fishmongers in the 19th century discovered some similarity to German poet Friedrich Schiller's hairstyle, as depicted on a copperplate engraving which had just been discovered in the Marburg Schiller archive. Hence the name "Schillerlocke" (Schiller's curl).
If you ask for "sea eal" or "Schillerlocke" at the fish counter, you generally do not know that you will be consuming a shark species classified as "endangered" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, because of over-fishing. Consumers would also find it hard to distinguish halibut caught in the North East Atlantic from that caught in the Pacific. The first – according to the WWF seafood guide – is very much over-fished, while the latter is not.
Over-fishing is increasingly becoming an economic problem. Political solutions only work on the level of the smallest common denominator. It seems to make sense, therefore to make use of consumer power. In 1997, the British-Dutch food group, Unilever, together with the WWF established the "Marine Stewardship Council" (MSC). Since 1999, the MSC has been independent. It certifies fisheries world-wide, according to internationally accepted principles of environmental compatibility. These companies' products are labelled with the blue MSC logo. This environmental label helps consumers to make an ecologically responsible decision when buying seafood.
The MSC Standard is the result of expert consultations and is simply called "Principles and Criteria for Sustainable Fishing". The principles and implementation criteria cover the maintenance of fish populations, environmental compatibility and sustainable fishery management. The standard currently only refers to fisheries, not to aqua cult
Principle 1: | A fishery must be conducted in a manner that does not lead to over-fishing or depletion of the populations. For those populations that are depleted, the fishery must be conducted in a manner that demonstrably leads to their recovery. |
Principle 2: | Fishing operations should allow for the maintenance of the structure, productivity, function and diversity of the marine ecosystem. |
Principle 3: | The fishery is subject to an effective management system that respects local, national and international laws and standards and incorporates frameworks that require use of the resource to be responsible and sustainable. |
Several criteria go into more precise detail. Some only contain declarations of intent, while others define narrow limits, e.g. the guideline banning fishing with explosives or poisons.
Certification with the MSC Standard is voluntary. It applies to fisheries of all sizes, from small collectives to world market leaders. After passing the preliminary tests, fisheries can then apply for assessment by one of the MSC certification bodies. The MSC itself does not assess fisheries, but leaves this task to independent experts who are paid by the applicant.
The certification process must be transparent and comprehensible. The MSC label is awarded for a period of five years, as a rule with conditions which are checked on an annual basis. After five years, the certification process starts from the beginning.
The MSC label is not altogether without controversy, though. Greenpeace complains that fisheries are certified in spite of destructive fishing practices and high by-catch percentages. They maintain that the label is also granted to products from already over-fished populations, as soon as sustainable use is promised.
The WWF is not quite so strict with its criteria. "Presently, the MSC label is the method of choice. We have no comparable method to offer", said Karoline Schacht, the WWF’s German EU fishery expert. The criteria for the label could be a good way of exerting pressure to reduce the by-catch percentage. "We are campaigning for stricter criteria within the certification process", said Schacht. For example, the WWF could get involved in assessment procedures by providing certifying bodies with documentation and expert reports.
What seems problematic to her is that the certifying body has a relatively free hand in prioritising the criteria. More emphasis should be put on the selectivity of fishing equipment. "We are prepared to compromise, but within limits", said Schacht.
According to a scientific study published in November 2006, the populations of about 65 per cent of all seafood used by humans have shrunk to a tenth of their original size today. By 2048, the world's oceans will be fished out. It is therefore in the interest of fishing fleets to opt for sustainable fishery management. And the MSC Standard will encourage this development.
Mathias Orgeldinger
