Investigating the certifiability of Nunatsiavut’s commercial fisheries: The case of the Marine Stewardship Council

• Main Author: Schaible, Justin
• Format: Report
• Language: unknown
• Published: 2020
• Subjects: Arctic; Greenland; inuit; Snow crab
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10222/77791

Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification uses market-based incentives to promote the development of sustainably managed fisheries and has brought benefits to fisheries worldwide. However, the MSC is criticized for not being appropriate for small-scale and data-poor fisheries. This study examined the potential for MSC certification to benefit the small-scale fisheries in Nunatsiavut, NL, by investigating the ability for the Arctic char, snow crab, and Greenland halibut fisheries to become MSC certified and the trade-offs that certification may bring. The OSMI Rapid Assessment Tool was used to evaluate each fishery against the MSC fisheries standard. The results suggest that the snow crab and Greenland halibut fisheries could likely achieve certification, though, the data-deficient Arctic char fishery would require management system improvements before becoming certified. Using a scoping literature review, the implications of MSC certification were identified and compared against the Nunatsiavut Government’s governance principles to evaluate if pursuing certification would be recommended. It was determined that the resources and capacity required for certification would significantly impede these governance principles, though, they could be offset by benefits arising from potential market access and job creation, especially for Arctic char. However, these benefits would not be guaranteed. As well, the requirement of Western-style management and lack of inclusion of traditional knowledge in the MSC process may negatively impact the self-determination of Labrador Inuit. Hence, it is not recommended any species pursue MSC certification, though, conducting a pre-assessment of the Arctic char fishery may be a low commitment alternative that can still provide benefits. Keywords: Nunatsiavut, Inuit co-management, small-scale fisheries management, Marine Stewardship Council, sustainable management, implications of certification, Arctic char