The U.S. Gulf of Mexico shrimp fishery for all five Gulf states and federal waters has become the first shrimp fishery to achieve Responsible Fisheries Management (RFM) Certification.
RFM Certification requires fisheries meet RFM Standard criteria in four key areas: the fisheries management system; science and stock assessment activities, and the precautionary approach; management measures, implementation, monitoring, and control; and serious impacts of the fishery on the ecosystem.
Achieving RFM certification was a culmination of years of collaboration and fishery improvement work among the shrimp industry, management agencies, and NGOs. For 15 years, multiple industry-led Fishery Improvement Projects (FIPs), supported by the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership and the Gulf of Mexico Shrimp Supply Chain Roundtable, Audubon Nature Institute, and Texas Sea Grant, worked to implement changes needed to achieve the Certification.
The Gulf of Mexico shrimp fishery joins the Pacific Whiting Fishery and eight Alaska Fisheries that are RFM-certified.
Third-party certification body Global Trust awarded the certification after a thorough evaluation of the Gulf of Mexico Shrimp fishery as reported in the Final Assessment Report.
“Congratulations to the American Shrimp Processors Association (ASPA) and the entire Gulf of Mexico shrimp industry for meeting RFM’s comprehensive fishery standard. As the largest shrimp fishery in the U.S., it’s a testament to its sound fisheries management and commitment to the sustainability of their fishery,” said Mark Fina, CSC RFM Board Chair.
The RFM Certification program is owned by the Certified Seafood Collaborative (CSC), a non-profit foundation made up of a diverse board of seafood and sustainability experts.
Trey Pearson, ASPA Board President, said, “We are proud to achieve RFM Certification. It’s a positive reflection of our harvesters’ practices on the water and their work to ensure our shrimp is sustainably harvested. ASPA has long been confident in U.S. fishery management and practices. With RFM Certification we now have independent validation of that fact from a program recognized by the Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative (GSSI), enabling us to better meet our customer’s sourcing requirements.”
