Sustainable Fisheries Group Elects Chair
Priority number one remains improved dialogue with MSC

June 4, 2009 Seattle - The Association of Sustainable Fisheries' (ASF) executive committee has elected Christina Burridge the group's first chair.

Burridge is the Executive Director of the British Columbia Seafood Alliance, an association representing nearly all of the production of commercially harvested seafood on Canada's Pacific Coast. Her continuing efforts to earn Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification for BC's wild salmon fishery, as well as the five other BC fisheries currently in MSC assessment, make her an ideal choice to lead ASF.

"In British Columbia, like many of ASF's international members, we recognize the importance of MSC as an organization and as a sustainability proof point. But we've experienced some frustrations with the certification process that we think have revealed room for improvement," said Burridge. "ASF is evidence that we aren't the only ones who feel better communications with MSC will help us all in our shared sustainability goals."

ASF is a collection of 20 certified and in assessment fisheries that have joined together to promote a constructive dialogue between MSC and its client fisheries.

"Our association is committed to maintaining the rigorous MSC sustainability standard while making the program more practical, consistent and affordable for participating fisheries. We are pleased with the MSC's stated commitment to work to improve the MSC certification process," said Burridge.

ASF was launched April 27, 2009 in Brussels as a group designed to consolidate comments, questions and understandings from its members and then share and discuss those issues with MSC.