New Zealand Hoki Fishery

In March 2001 the New Zealand Hoki Fishery was accredited by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) as a "as a well managed fishery." [1]

The accreditation was supported by WWF but condemned by Forest & Bird and other New Zealand Environment groups. On its website, WWF New Zealand states that "the MSC label assures consumers that the product has not contributed to the environmental problems of overfishing, environmental degradation and loss of biodiversity. By buying fish with the MSC label, everyone can contribute to the conservation of our oceans." [2]

On its website WWF New Zealand states that it "focuses on the stock management and environmental performance of the hoki fishery, and the promotion of the MSC to stakeholders including other interested fisheries, consumers and retailers. Our project goal is to ensure that the MSC certification of fisheries is robust, highly regarded and well supported in the marketplace. We expect that lessons learnt from this project will be helpful to other regions to assist in halting the decline of fisheries resources and marine ecosystems world-wide." [3]

The Hoki Fishery Management Company has established an Environmental Steering Group, including representation from WWF New Zealand.

Other SourceWatch Resources

• Greenwashing
• Hoki Fishery Management Company
• Ministry of Fisheries (New Zealand)
• Scott Burns
• WWF Australia
• WWF
• WWF New Zealand

External links

• Ministry of Fisheries, "Hoki", 2006.
• Marine Stewardship Council, "New Zealand Hoki Fishery Certified to Marine Stewardship Council Standard", Media Release, March 15, 2001.
• WWF, "WWF Responds to Global Eco-Label Approval of New Zealand Hoki Fishery", Media Release, March 15, 2001.
• Brendan May, "MSC Defends hoki fishery certification: Eco-label group denies greenwash label", WorldCatch.com, March 20, 2001. (Scanned copy of article no longer found on the web).
• Marine Stewardship Council, "New Zealand Hoki Fishery - Independent Panel Decision", December 16, 2002. (Pdf)
• Forest & Bird, "MSC Hoki appeal shows fishery should never have been certified", Media Release, December 16, 2002.
• Antony Burgmans, "Co-operation is catching", Our Planet, February 6, 2003. (Antony Burgmans is Chairman, Unilever N.V. and Vice-chairman, Unilever Plc.)
• Paul Brown, "Crisis of credibility for 'green' fisheries: Drastic reforms urged to save watchdog from collapse", The Guardian, February 21, 2004.
• Marine Stewardship Council, "Hoki fishery seeks to renew international sustainability status", Media Release, March 15, 2005.
• Forest And Bird, "Sustainable fish guide launched w celebrity chips", Media Release, November 8 2005.
• Seafood Industry Council, "Eating Hoki is Sustainable", Media Release, November 8, November 2005.
• Seafood Industry Council,"Forest and Bird claims - "Absurd"", Media Release, November 8 2005.
• Forest & Bird, "Hoki should lose "sustainable" tag", Media Release, May 16 2006.
• WWF New Zealand, "Rewarding sustainable fisheries", accessed June 2006.
• WWF New Zealand, "MSC certification of the hoki industry", Media Release, May 18, 2006. (WWF signals its intention to object to the recertification of the hoki fishery).
• Michael Lodge, Dr Rick Deriso and Dr Jeremy Collie, "Final Report of the Independent Objections Panel", Marine Stewardship Council, September 2007. (Pdf file)
• "Hoki fishery doesn't deserve its "sustainability tick", Media Release, September 17, 2007.
• WWF-New Zealand, "Statement on the New Zealand hoki fishery being determined as eligible for re-certification", Media Release, October 3, 2007.
• SGS, "Final Public Certification Report, Marine Stewardship Council, October 31, 2007. (Pdf file)

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