Clearwater Seafoods will not lose its sustainability rating for its eastern Canadian lobster fishery, despite being charged and convicted of “gross violation” of Atlantic fisheries regulations in the fall of 2018.
It its 61-page audit report released Friday, the Marine Stewardship Council concluded that Clearwater's "monitoring, control and surveillance mechanisms ensure the fishery's management measures are enforced and complied with.”
Clearwater's sustainability rating has dropped as a result of the audit, but the fishery remains certified.
In September 2018, the company pleaded guilty to violating the 72-hour rule, which requires harvesters to tend to their gear within 72 hours -- something Clearwater argued isn't possible when weather conditions are poor.
The Marine Stewardship Council certification is applied to seafood from fisheries that have met requirements for sustainable fishing. It's the only wild-capture fisheries certification and eco-labelling program that meets standards set by both the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, and the global membership association for sustainability.
