By Gareth Morgan, http://garethsworld.com/ Recently the green NGOs accused the Government of siding with the fishing industry when they refused to back a United States proposal for marine protection in the Ross Sea. Is the Government kowtowing to industry as they suggest, or is this yet another green own goal? The US proposal preferred by the greenies is not as …
15th October 2012: Drilling down for the cold hard facts on the Ross Sea
From The NZ Herald: Dr Gareth Morgan describes environmental groups campaigning for a closure of the Ross Sea toothfish fishery as “ideological nutters” and notes that their campaign relies on misconceptions and misinformation. In the most recent salvo in this debate, Dr David Ainley and Dr Clive Evans provide their opinion as scientists who “have spent numerous seasons conducting research …
2nd October 2012: Patagonian Toothfish – set to be a star on menus
Seafood writer, John Susman of FishTales, tells his delicious experience of Patagonian Toothfish in Japan and what is now a regular on Japanese chef, Raita Noda’s Ocean Room in Sydney and celebrity chef, Nobu Matsuhisa’s 24 venue Nobu chain around the world. Read Susman’s Patagonian Toothfish – set to be a star on menus.
2nd October 2012: Patagonian Toothfish Future Certified
The Fisheries Research and Development Corporation magazine published Patagonian Toothfish Future Certified in the September issue of their FISH magazine. The article goes into detail of the status of Australia’s Heard Island Toothfish fishery.
12th September 2012: Ross Sea FAQs
The New Zealand Seafood Industry Council has provided us with a FAQ document on Antarctic toothfish and the Ross Sea. Also, the Marine Stewardship Council has provided us with the Fishery Fact Sheet for the Ross Sea Toothfish Fishery.
7th September 2012: Want to know more about MSC?
As four toothfish fisheries operated by COLTO members are now certified as sustainable and well managed fisheries by the Marine Stewardship Council, and three more currently undergoing assessment, you are probably wondering ‘What does MSC certification really mean?’ If so, the MSC have provided us with an interesting and informative video, explaining the MSC certification process and how it came …
22 August 2012: Sixth Toothfish Fishery to be Assessed
COLTO PRESS RELEASE The Falkland Islands Longline Patagonian Toothfish Fishery has become the sixth Toothfish fishery to undergo full assessment under the independent Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) accreditation scheme. This follows four toothfish fisheries that are already MSC certified as sustainable and well managed, and a fifth that is currently also under assessment. Martin Exel, COLTO Chairman, said today it …
31 July 2012: MSC update on Ross Sea toothfish: healthy stocks and minimal impact on ecosystem
Following the recent Antarctic toothfish stock assessment in the Ross Sea, the Marine Stewardship Council has released an update showing that the Ross Sea is a leading example of a well-managed sustainable fishery. Read the full MSC news release about Ross Sea Toothfish.
31 July 2012: New COLTO member, Mark Foods
COLTO would like to welcome its newest associate member, Markfoods, the largest provider of MSC-certified toothfish in the USA. For more information, please take the time to visit their website, which includes an overview of the process of following the MSC chain of custody from the boat to the plate: www.markfoods.com
30 July 2012: Ross Sea well managed and sustainable
The New Zealand Seafood Industry released details today demonstrating that the New Zealand fishing industry involvement in the Ross Sea fishery is responsible and sustainable and notes that the area is well managed. Read the full Ross Sea toothfish fishery press release.
18 June 2012: EU and Japan cooperate on IUU fishing
COLTO congratulates the European Union and Japan on the recent signing of a joint agreement to combat illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing. COLTO welcomes this cooperation between the world’s two largest seafood importers and encourages other countries to take similar initiatives. EU IUU Press Release Japan IUU Press Release
1 June 2012: Second Australian toothfish fishery certified sustainable
COLTO is pleased to see that Australia’s Macquarie Island Patagonian Toothfish fishery has been recognised as a sustainable and well managed fishery by the Marine Stewardship Council. The Macquarie Island fishery is now the fourth toothfish fishery to receive MSC certification, following certification of the South Georgia, the Ross Sea and Heard and McDonald Islands fisheries. The latest certification means …
1 June 2012: Time for toothfish to come off the red lists
Seafoodnews.com editor John Sackton commented yesterday about the need to recognise the positive progress made in reducing IUU and ensuring sustanable toothfish fishing. See the video for ‘Time for toothfish to come off the red lists‘. The transcript from the video is below. Is it time to re-introduce toothfish to the US market (video) SEAFOOD.COM NEWS by John Sackton …
31 May 2012: COLTO “..second most important organisation in addressing IUU fishing in the Southern Ocean”
A new Stockholm Resilience Centre paper titled ‘Global Cooperation among Diverse Organisations to Reduce Illegal Fishing in the Southern Ocean‘ has been published in Conservation Biology. The paper examined collaboration between 117 organisations and ranked COLTO as the second most important organisation in addressing IUU fishing for toothfish in the Southern Ocean. The paper requires a subscription to Conservation Biology …
2 May 2012: Papers on IUU fishing in the Southern Ocean
Two papers on IUU fishing in the Southern Ocean have recently been published by Stockholm Resilience Centre: Adapting to Regional Enforcement: Fishing Down the Governance Index Illegal Fishing and the Organised Crime Analogy For additional information on these papers, contact Henrik Osterblom: henrik.osterblom@stockholmresilience.su.se
23rd April 2012: New COLTO Member, Kendell Seafood
COLTO would like to welcome another addition to its membership list, Kendell Seafood Imports, of Rhode Island in the USA. Kendell takes pride in distributing sustainably sourced Patagonian Toothfish (aka Chilean Sea Bass). For more information, please take the time to visit their website: www.kendellseafood.com
3 April 2012: Video on the Antarctic Toothfish fishery
National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA), New Zealand, have provided us with a video on the history and monitoring of the Antarctic Toothfish fishery.
26 March 2012: Article – Plenty of fish in the Ross Sea
A recent New Zealand led survey has found high densities of young toothfish in the southern Ross Sea. For more information, read Plenty more fish in Ross Sea.
19 March 2012: New COLTO Member San Arawa S.A.
COLTO would like to welcome its newest member, San Arawa S.A. and extend its congratulations to its President Mr Eduardo Gonzalez Lemmi and his team. For more information about San Arawa S.A. visit their website at: www.sanarawa.com
16th March 2012: HIMI Toothfish receives MSC certification
On a day that the Marine Stewardship Council is celebrating Sustainable Seafood Day, COLTO is pleased to announce that Australia’s Heard Island & McDonald Islands (HIMI) Patagonian Toothfish fishery has been recognised as a sustainable and well managed fishery by the Marine Stewardship Council. Read the MSC HIMI toothfish press release. The HIMI fishery is now the third toothfish fishery …
9th February 2012: International Sustainability Unit reports
His Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales, established the International Sustainability Unit to facilitate consensus on how to resolve some of the key environmental challenges facing the world – such as food security, ecosystem resilience and the depletion of Natural Capital. The ISU’s Marine Programme was initiated to help strengthen consensus around the best solutions for the sustainable management of wild marine …
27th January 2012: Combined IUU List
The Trygg Mat Foundation, has launched a searchable database of vessels blacklisted in Regional Fisheries Management Organisations for participating in Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported (IUU) fishing. According to CCAMLR in 2011, the active fleet of IUU toothfish vessels comprises 4 fishing vessels and 1 carrier vessel – greatly reduced from approximately 55 IUU fishing vessels just over a decade ago. …
24th January 2012: MSC sets date Down Under
The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) has announced the launch of Sustainable Seafood Day in Australia. Set for March 16, it seeks to boost the profile of those products that bear the MSC’s ecolable – a tick of approval for sustainable and well managed fisheries. Australia’s Heard Island and McDonald Islands Patagonian Toothfish Fishery and the Macquarie Island Patagonian Toothfish Fishery …
19th January 2012: Toothfish Recipes
Want to try Toothfish but unsure of how to cook it? Why not visit our new Toothfish recipes page for a wide range of delicious Toothfish (A.K.A Chilean Seabass) meal ideas. Chef’s all over the world love cooking with toothfish as it is so hard to overcook! Toothfish is a great source of protein and Omega-3, and its prized white flesh of sweet, …
3rd January 2012: Russian Toothfish vessel free from ice
A Russian toothfish vessel (not a COLTO member) with a damaged hull that was trapped in Antarctica for nearly two weeks has been patched up and freed from ice, rescue workers said today. The Sparta had been stranded on the Antarctic ice shelf around 2,000 nautical miles (3,700 km) southeast of New Zealand after ice ripped a hole in …
22nd December 2011: Draft Report for HIMI toothfish
The Australian Heard Island & McDonald Islands Patagonian toothfish fishery is now approaching the final stages of Marine Stewardship Council review. The MSC draft report was compiled by Scientific Certification Systems and is now available on the MSC website. The public comment period ends January 16th 2012. If successful, HIMI will be the third toothfish fishery to achieve the gold …
16th November 2011: Galician shipowner condemned for fraud
The Provincial Court of Las Palmas in Gran Canaria condemned the shipowner Manuel Antonio Vidal Pego, from Ribeira (A Coruña) for having committed fraud. The sentence states that the fraudster will be in prison for a year and eight months and will have to pay a daily fine of EUR 15 for eight months. In addition, the company shall indemnify …
14 November 2011: New study on evironmental impacts of MSC programme published.
The Marine Stewardship Council has released the results of an independent study that shows quantifiable, progressive improvement of the environmental performance of MSC certified fisheries over time. A summary of the report can be found here. This is good news for COLTO members and their associated toothfish (also known as Chilean sea bass) fisheries, of which two are currently MSC certified, with several …
4th November 2011: CCAMLR results “astounding”
Today saw the completion of the 30th annual meeting of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) in Hobart, Australia. CCAMLR has 26 member nations and is part of the Antarctic Treaty System. It is responsible for the balance of the conservation of Antarctic marine living resources and their rational use. Members of the Coalition of …
23 Sep 2011: COLTO member awarded Nuffield Scholarship
COLTO member from Austral Fisheries, Rhys Arangio, has been awarded a 2012 Nuffield Scholarship, sponsored by Woolworths and the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation. Rhys is planning on looking into ways to mitigate marine mammal depredation in toothfishing operations. To view the Media Release click on the link below: 2012 Nuffield Scholarship – FRDC and Woolworths Media Release
25 May 2011: COLTO Inc.
COLTO has successfully applied to the Commissioner for Fair Trading in Western Australia and has become an Incorporated Association. The following are the Articles of Association for COLTO Inc. Certificate of Incorporation Articles of Association
10 May 2011: Third fishery for Austral Fisheries & Australian Longline enters full assessment against the MSC standard
The Macquarie Island toothfish fishery, operated by Austral Fisheries and Australian Longline, has entered full assessment for MSC certification. This is the Australian operators’ third fishery to undergo MSC assessment with their HIMI mackerel icefish fishery successfully gaining MSC certification in 2006, and their HIMI toothfish fishery currently undergoing full assessment. Independent certification body Scientific Certification Systems (SCS), will evaluate …
28 April 2011: The toothfish bites back: The story behind the reduction of illegal fishing in the Southern Ocean.
References: Österblom, H., Sumaila, U.R., Toothfish crises, actor diversity and the emergence of compliance mechanisms in the Southern Ocean.Global Environ. Change (2011) Previous research has shown how Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported fishing (IUU) has proven so resilient to international enforcement measures that it should be included in the definition of organised crime. Illegal fishing in the Southern Ocean of the …
2 April 2011: Longline TAC set for Macquarie Island Toothfish Fishery
The Hon. Tony Burke, Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities has supported the introduction of demersal longlining in the Macquarie Island Toothfish Fishery (MITF). The AFMA Commission sought Minister Burke’s support following the successful trial of the fishing method over four seasons from 2007 to 2010 which showed that Patagonian Toothfish could be effectively targeted by longlining. In …
18 Nov 2010: Ross Sea toothfish longline fishery gains MSC certification
The Ross Sea Antarctic toothfish (Dissostichus mawsoni) longline fishery has been awarded Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification following a rigorous, independent assessment against the MSC standard for sustainable and well-managed fisheries. Products from this fishery may now bear the MSC ecolabel, identifying their origin from a sustainable source. Only products that originate from the certified fishery are eligible to bear …
18 Nov 2010: Southern Ocean toothfish fishery to enter full assessment against the MSC standard
The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) has announed the Austral Fisheries’ and Australian Longline’s Heard Island and McDonald Islands (HIMI) toothfish fishery has entered full assessment for MSC certification. To be conducted by independent certification body Scientific Certification Systems (SCS), the assessment will evaluate the Southern Ocean fishery against the MSC standard for well-managed and sustainable fisheries, which examines the sustainability of the …
15 July 2010: Forensic techniques boost MSC traceability programme
Independent DNA tests on 240 random samples have shown that MSC certified fish continues to perform well in traceability tests. All of the samples showed that they came from the fish labelled on the pack and none of the products was mislabelled. These early results establish DNA analysis as a valuable tool in combating the fraudulent use of ecolabels. As …
27 Nov 2009: MSC assessment of Ross Sea toothfish – update
MSC assessment of Ross Sea toothfish – update On 18th Nov 2009, the Final Report and Determination of the Ross Sea toothfish fishery was released by the independent certifier Moody Marine – this is not a final certification result. This fishery is not certified to the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) standard – there is now a 15 working day period …
1 Oct 2009: French toothfish fisheries from Reunion Island embark on the MSC journey
French toothfish fishers, under the auspices of the Reunion Freezer Longliner Shipowners Association (SARPC for its French acronym) have applied for Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) assessment to demonstrate the sustainability of their fishing practices. The SARPC was formed by six fishing companies which have authorization and licenses to capture toothfish in the French Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) of the Kerguelen …
17 Sep 2009: South Georgia toothfish recertified with flying colours
Following its five-yearly Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) re-assessment, the South Georgia Patagonian toothfish longline fishery has been re-certified as a sustainable and well-managed fishery. Marketed in the United States as Chilean sea-bass, it is the only Chilean sea-bass available from a certified sustainable source. The fishery scored particularly highly on its re-assessment with scores over 90 (out of 100) for …
11 Sep 2009: South Georgia Patagonian Toothfish – Longline
“WE DON’T HAVE a population in South Georgia, only a small team of scientists who live on the island,” says Harriet Hall, Director of Fisheries for the Government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. As a result, this remote Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom has no industry and no income tax to generate revenue for government projects …