More on The Town Dock’s MSC Certification

Proud Partner MSC signAs of May 22, 2018, The Town Dock’s U.S. Northeastern Longfin Squid, also referred to as Loligo pealeii, sold whole fresh/frozen, as well as into foodservice under our Rhode Island Calamari product line, became the world’s first squid fishery to achieve Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification.

The MSC is an international nonprofit organization established to set global scientific standards for sustainable fishing practices and to ensure an ocean full of life today, tomorrow, and always. In short, it is the world’s most credible standard for sustainable wild-caught seafood.

The Certification Process

Earning MSC certification does not happen overnight. Assessments are done by independent certifiers, ensuring that each fishery is judged based on the three MSC fisheries standard principles: sustainable fish stocks, minimizing environmental impacts, and effective management.

Fisheries go through an optional pre-assessment before the full assessment which takes between 6 and 18 months to complete. Once MSC certification is achieved, there are annual audits carried out to ensure continued compliance and to examine any significant changes in the environment or management of the fishery.

Benefits of MSC Certification

So, what does this mean for you?

First, having an MSC certification means the fishery will ensure the long-term sustainability of marine environments and help fishing-based economies for the future. MSC certified fisheries ensure that fish are caught at levels that allow fish populations and the ecosystems on which they depend to remain healthy and productive for the future.

Aside from helping to ensure the long-term sustainability of the U.S. Northeast squid fishery, The Town Dock is happy to help you meet consumer demand as nearly 80{af4353f74f8b04e9214f6872c9dda5a838e42d5a928a4854bd0ee81e5f80a7f0} of seafood purchasers cite sustainable sourcing as an important purchase motivator.

MSC Certified signLook for the MSC Blue Ecolabel

The MSC blue ecolabel is only applied to wild fish or seafood from fisheries that have met MSC standards. The seafood can be traced to a sustainable fishery, separated from non-certified seafood, and clearly labeled. The MSC carries out DNA testing to ensure these requirements are followed.

The Town Dock has become part of over 300 fisheries and more than 25,000 seafood products that can carry the MSC ecolabel and can be traced back to certified sustainable fisheries.

Our Ongoing Commitment

The Town Dock will continue to hold squid to a higher standard by pursuing an expedited assessment of the U.S. Northern Shortfin Squid (Illex illecebrosus), also known as illex, small mesh bottom trawl fishery under MSC principles. We share the MSC’s vision for the world’s oceans to be teeming with life—today, tomorrow, and for generations to come.