Get Eco-Certified
PLEDGE
To make this partnership a reality, a community of local Manitoba fish harvesters, wholesalers, food service providers, retailers, restaurants and government will come together on the core belief of “Manitoba’s fisheries first” and pledge to support:
1. Local Sustainability – We believe that sustainability is important for our fisheries and worth rewarding. We are committed to supporting the sustainability of Manitoba lakes by preferentially purchasing from and promoting Fish Forward fisheries.
2. Eco-certification – We believe that independent, science-based eco-certification is an important tool in ensuring the long-term sustainability of our fisheries and the Manitoba communities whose livelihoods depend on them. We support local fisheries’ efforts to achieve and maintain MSC eco-certification as the highest standard for sustainable fishing.
WHO CAN JOIN FISH FORWARD
Fishery Eligibility Criteria
- A fishery that has achieved and is maintaining independent third-party MSC eco-certification; or
- A fishery involved in an independent third-party MSC eco-certification assessment; or
- A fishery that has confirmed in writing its goal to work towards achieving independent third-party MSC eco-certification and is engaged in a credible, public Fishery Improvement Project (FIP) of which the duration cannot exceed five (5) years from start to finish.
Fish Buyer Eligibility Criteria
- Wholesalers, food service providers, restaurants or retailers who wish to participate in the program must commit to buying local Manitoba fish only from Fish Forward fisheries or businesses, ensuring it comes from a fishery that meets one of the Fishery Eligibility criteria above.
- It is strongly recommended that businesses consider seeking MSC Chain of Custody certification which verifies the provenance of fish and allows them to use the MSC label on products that come from MSC certified fisheries (in Manitoba and globally). Chain of Custody also combats seafood fraud and ensures the credibility of sustainability claims to the highest degree.
If you are a fishery interested in signing up for certification as a fisher, please contact us at info@fishforward.ca for further information and next steps.
For more information about the MSC and its fisheries certification process, please visit www.msc.org.