California’s Sustainable Seafood Draft Protocols Public Comment Photos by Doug Perrine © Ocean Protection Council November 29, 2010, Sacramento

Support California = MSC + Generally support using the Marine Stewardship Council baseline with California criteria to raise the bar and fill the gaps 80 percent score or above for Endangered, Threatened and Protected Species 80 percent score or above for fish stock status Sustainability – set high bar for CA fisheries funded for certification with public funds

Protected species and Sustainable Seafood – Zero bycatch Pacific loggerhead – Endangered Uplisting Underway 80 percent decline since 1980s – fishery bycatch a major contributor Pacific leatherback – Endangered 90 percent decline since 1980s – fishery bycatch a major contributor Raise the bar – 100 score – no bycatch –Marine Mammal Protection Act Loss of one animal could be significant Leatherbacks, loggerheads, marine mammals such as dolphins, sea lions, whales need to be protected for true sustainability Most California fisheries don’t harm protected marine wildlife California Drift Gill Net Fishery for Swordfish most likely to harm sea turtles 1 leatherback observed in 2009 = 6 mortalities in 3 years and 9 entanglements in 3 years. More than 50 percent total bycatch in CA drift gillnet fishery

Fishery Assessment and Traceability Generally support with these recommendations: CA fishery Pre-Assessment Results – Make public Fishery Assessment Review – Add Peer Review Fish Toxicity Testing – Mercury and PCBs - important Mercury testing in CA in 2010, supermarkets and sushi bars found half the swordfish above 1 ppm; nearly all above.5 Add Bycatch levels to gear type, etc. Add Carbon “finprint” – California leadership on reducing greenhouse gases

Ocean Protection Council Please Set High Bar for Eco-labeling of California Fisheries Thank you for protecting our oceans, sea turtles and fisheries! Teri Shore, Program Director, , ext. 104 Dr. Chris Pincetich, Marine Campaigner, Ext. 102