1. SAGB Presentation notes
Front slide
Chair, M la ud (la die s), m e m be rs of t he fishm onge rs c om pa ny e t c ..I fe e l
very humbled to have been asked to address the conference today. I have
to say that the room looks very different from here and whilst in would in
normal circumstances i would much prefer to be sitting amongst
delegates, given that I know (more or less) what is coming up, you all
instead have my sympathies.
Before commencing, a bit of explanation. Rather that deliver this
presentation entirely through the medium of words, figures and charts
factual matter - I thought it might spark conference dele gates
imagination, particularly at this time of day, if we used some pictures
instead. This, I think, benefits you as it saves you from being confronted
by too much of my poor diction and questionable punctuation whilst giving
conference an opportunity to appreciate some, in my mind at least,
interesting art. I am also hoping that there is the hidden benefit (to me) of
firing my imagination up enough to enable me to fully appreciate the
concept of ecological coherence in marine protected areas that James
Marsden will hopefully touch upon in the following presentation.
All in all though, upfront apologies for any mixed metaphors or
inconsistent analogies.
I have also veered away largely from discussing the process of
assessment that we undertook in the Menai Strait, as even though for me
it is of great interest I appreciate that this might be something to do with
subjectivity (although I would like to apologise to MEP for being stroppy
clients and the the Co-op for part funding the certification)
The structure of the title of course come from the famous lines in Hamlet,
_ To be of not to be, that is the question; whether tis nobler in the mind to
suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, - and by taking arms
against a sea of troubles and by opposing end them. And so on..
(Denmark the home of the msc Vilsund mussel fishery (more of that later))
These much used words have been applied to a multitude of concepts and
issues no doubt many before with a fisheries context all indications of
the language and the genius of Shakespeare.
I d just lik e t o sa y t hough a t t he out se t I think that the MSC has achieved
much, however......

2. First slide
So in t he w ords of 1 9 7 0 s housewives favourite, Max Bygraves, I want to
tell you a story. And all stories have a beginning, a middle and
oc c a siona lly a n e nd (a lt hough in t his c a se I don t t hink w e a re quit e t he re
yet)
This picture : Miranda the Tempest by John William Waterhouse was
painted in 1916 and was one of several interpretation of the subject by
Waterhouse. For those who may not know, Miranda is the daughter of the
Old Duke (and sorcerer), Prospe ro in Sha k e spe a re s fina l play The
Tempest. [ba nishe d t o a n isla nd by prose pe ro s younge r brot he r a nt ionio]
And w ha t I d lik e you a ll t o do is look a t t he ship, founde ring in t he st orm y
seas being slowly inexorably driven onto the rocks as Miranda watches
on. Imagine that it is the e a rly 1 9 9 0 s a nd t hink of t he ship a s t he im a ge of
the fishing industry, personified in for the purposes of this by the
Newfoundland cod fishery, the cliffs are those of doom and collapse and
Miranda, is in all her winsome and helpless naivety, society.
In terms of impact, the catastrophic decline of this fishery 20 years ago, of
what it represented and how it altered the way in which external society
viewed global commercial fishing activity can be seen as a watershed
moment. That this cod fishery, described so vividly in its immenseness by
John Cabot on arriving in Newfoundland at the end of the 15 th century,
provided all the necessary legitimacy for those who sought to make
comment on the systematic failure of fisheries management and mindless
abuse by the fishing industry of what was considered and largely remains
a public resource. From this point on it became not just socially
acceptable but also commendable for many to describe fishing practices
in the harshest terms (i.e . rape and pillage of t he se a )
Second slide
The landscape associated with fishing 9in its widest sense) became very
polarised after 1992, with those seeking to maintain access (for
economic, social political reasons) described as apologists and
environmental vandals; and those environmental organisations who
sought more control condemned as zealots. Something was needed to
introduce balance. In 1997 along came John Wayne, the Duke (who else?)
..the marine stewardship council heroically, here using the identity of
John Wayne in this work by Andy Warhol from 1986. This picture of Wayne
w a s pa rt of a se rie s of 1 1 port ra it s c a lle d c ow boys a nd I ndia ns t ha t se t

3. out to challenge and expose the preconceptions held by society of the
native American population.
The initiative of the WWF and Unilever with the creation of the MSC sought
to achieve similar objectives and to challenge the then rapidly developing
pre c onc e pt ion t ha t t he w ords sust a ina ble a nd fishe ry c ould ne ve r
realistically be joined
The basis for the MSC mark lies within the FAO code of conduct for
responsible fisheries. It has three core principles (1) Sustainability of the
target species; (2) minimising environmental impact; and (3) effectiveness
of the fisheries management system as described through 31 performance
indicators
Brilliant one would think.. but
Third slide
And there are always buts.
This picture - Sa lva dor Da li 1 9 3 7 Sw a ns re fle c t e d a s Ele pha nt s w hic h is
exhibited in the MOMA in New York, was apparently an expression of
Da li s frust ra t ion a t t he w a y in w hic h his a nd the whole surrealist
movement works were being appreciated. It has the central theme of a
double image. When we see the swans looking down at their reflections in
still water, instead of the expected swans own refection we instead see
elephants.
So the analogy here I guess is associated with perception;
So whilst the internal perception of the structure of the msc system might
well have been, might well be, that it is functional and appropriate there
are confusions and tensions evident across the spectrum.
There are probably not enough days in the week to fully engage in this
subject, however I would like to focus on a few as an illustration.
The applicability of a fishery to MSC or what I will call the Alaskan
salmon question (sort of the msc equivalent to former MP Tam Dalyell
1977 west Lothian question) In November 2010, the North Menai Strait
m usse l fishe ry be c a m e t he first e nha nc e d fishe ry, globa lly, t o be c e rt ifie d
through MSC way hay!! Good for us and good for our little country. Or
w here we ?? until late 2008/ early 2009 the prevailing view was that the
MSC standard was only applicable to those fisheries that could be
c onside re d t ruly w ild , inde e d t he scope of the label had been the subject
of much internal and external debate. But what of the Alaskan Salmon

4. fishery this fishery was one of the first really large fisheries to be
certified by MSC in 2000 and recertified in 2007. Without question it fulfils
the 3 core principles of the certification and in addition is an extremely
lucrative fishery that provides substantial and sustainable employment in
areas where often little alternative exists. It is also a fishery based to a
considerable extent (some 20-40%) on salmon smolts that are reared in
hatcheries. How could this be considered truly wild, when the
anthropogenic intervention of our fishery (and many like it) (which entails
the relocation of naturally occurring mussel seed from ephemeral beds to
on-growing several beds) are considered to be enhancement?
The functional unit of certification and this one really begs a further
bigger question of purpose and identity. As an example Can i take you
back to the introductory slide and the mention I made of the MSC Vilsund
mussel fishery in Denmark mentioned at the outset (the hamlet
connection) as an example. The overall fishery is prosecuted by some 51
vessels operating within the Limfjord in denmark, only 27 of these vessels
are controlled by Vilsund. All the vessels operate and are managed in a
broadly similar way, in the context of the 3 core principles, however only
the Vilsund vessels are MSC certified. Does this mean that the remaining
24 vessels are not operating as sustainably? Or does it merely mean that
the Vilsund controlled vessels have sought to achieve (and paid to get) an
additional market recognised distinction to maintain market share. The
question here really is what is msc about promoting sustainability or
promoting brand? Is it about adherence to the 3 core principles or is it a
private sector levy?
Who are in the audience in the sense of who benefits and who pays for
that benefit. One of the main drivers (sticks/carrots whatever) for our
entry into seeking the msc mark, was a statement made in 2008 by the
Dutch retail sector that by 2010 they would be seeking to source all their
marine species from msc labelled fisheries; walmart followed on with a
similar statement at around this time, similar statements have since been
made by many of the major retailers (although encompassing many of the
other eco-labels applicable to the sector) it looked as though msc (eco-
labels) were becoming simply condition of access this has yet to fully
materialise. Is this label then a factor for retailers and wholesalers in
terms of their CSR (or whatever other applicable terms Waitrose ethical
sourcing and sustainability) or is it for their customers. We are informed
by much consumer research (my fellow traveller on the Seafish board
Quentin Clark has spoken widely on this ???) that recognition of the label
by the end consumer is still relatively low and that ultimately
consumption is still largely driven by price. A paradox could emerge in the
short term at least those that pay to go through certification, will be to
som e e x t e nt be c a rrying la rge r c ost s t ha n t hose w ho don t all competing

5. on the same price sensitive market place, i.e. msc certified products
might be less attractive to the consumer if they cost more or may be less
profitable to the producer if they are sold in an open market.
Who are the critics and is the criticisms valid? i.e. does the MSC pass the
Cuprinol t e st ( doe s e x a c t ly w ha t is sa ys on t he t in ) Any organisation that
positions itself in the manner that the msc, deliberately or inadvertently,
on a pedestal, can expect to be the subject of some slings and arrows.
And the MSc has its fair share of critics, some of whom might be
de sc ribe d a s t he usua l suspe c t s t hose who have something of a track
record for criticising the prevailing view in fisheries (which be definition
makes them high profile) such as Greenpeace, Scripps Institute, Some
high profile academics and fishery scientists such (Daniel Pauly, Callum
Roberts, Sidney Holt. This group tend to look at the MSC structure (the
re fle c t ion on Da li s pond) a nd se e som e t hing e lse , inadequate, looking
back at them; a syst e m t ha t doe sn t a c hie ve m e a ningful sust a ina ble use
of fisheries as defined through their own view. Whilst some of these critics
are appear to be inna t e ly dispose d a ga inst t he ide nt it y of fishe rie s in
their modern form (industrial, privatised, corporatized etc) and accuse the
msc of failing to protect the environment in its widest sense, they also are
very professional and wise in their use of the media.
A further group of critics are those who focus on the structural in-
equitabilities evident within the process - and accuse the MSC of being
inherently biased toward large scale fisheries and less accessible to
smaller scale activities. A recent op-ed in the Belgium fishing news
focussed particularly on this matter. There are also those critics from
lesser developed nations who often see the entire eco-labelling initiative
as being structurally protectionist
The final group of critics are those from within the glass house the
critics from the Certified fisheries. These are comprised both of those who
question the direct effect and also the cost benefit ratio of becoming MSC
certified.
Do any or all of these critical voices have just cause for their positions?
MSC have argued that its purpose and objectives are clearly defined
within the 3 core principles and that it does not seek to be portrayed as a
wider arbiter of sustainability, but is this a credible retort from an
organisation that could not be accused of being in any way naive as to its
position in the market?
It has argued that the pre assessment filtering process is a relatively
accessible and rapid way of determining whether a fishery (of whatever
size or structure) might be eligible to transit through the process, and so
in that sense access to the process is in no way exclusive.

6. And as for the final group, the most worrying group possibly, MSC have
also commented on the fact that they cannot control market behaviour
and point to the more indirect and less immediate benefits of certification.
Fourth & fifth Slides
N e a rly a t t he e nd you ll be gla d t o he ar.
The next two slides are kind of interchangeable. It would have been
improbable to have structured a presentation associated with the sea via
the medium of art without pulling on these two pieces. Firstly we have
Da m ie n H irst s bre a k t hough t he physic a l impossibility of death in the
m ind of som e one living from 1 9 9 1 the famous tiger shark in an eternal
stasis floating in formaldehyde
And se c ondly w e ha ve Bot t ic e lli s birt h of ve nus 1 4 8 5 which is to my
mind probably the most overwhelming painting I have ever had the fortune
to see with my own two eyes, in the uffizi in Florence.
The analogy posed here is associated with identity. Just what is the MSC
and what is it seeking to achieve. In many ways i would argue that the
MSC is and increasingly has become something more akin to the Birth of
Venus t ha n H irst s sha rk . I t is c urre nt ly se e n a s t he c la ssic fishe ry e c o-
la be l, a nd just a s t he gre a t M e dic i s fa m ily c om m issione d Bot t ic e lli, so t he
WWF, t he gra ndda ddy of e N GO s, had its hand in the creation of the MSC.
Hirst s shark represents the newcomer, the more modern take. Interesting
the tiger shark pictured is the second one that Hirst has used to create
the work as the first one decayed inside the tank as a consequence of
contamination. So maybe not just a symbol of the new but also of the
reviewed. There are now of course a seemingly ever increasing number of
eco-labels associated with fishery and aquaculture at the seafood expo
earlier on this month the Aquaculture stewardship council formerly
accepted its standards, it was joined in presence at the show not just by
MSC, but also global gap, GAA, Friends of the Sea and Icelandic
responsible fisheries and others. Many retailers have instigated their own
in-house la be ls t ha t pe rsona lise t he t a k e on w ha t sust a ina bilit y re a lly is
to them. It sometimes can feel as though we are in the midst of an eco-
label arms race.
I m not sure t ha t w a s e ve r re a lly t he int e nt ion

7. Sixth and final slide
You might think that this is an unusual picture to end on. This is by the
American post war artist Andrew Wyeth it s c a lle d Christ ina s w orld
(1948), and to some eyes can look quite bleak. The figure of a fragile
crippled girl seeming to hold out her hand helplessly as she seeks to
achieve the impossible and make it home across the empty plain.
However another way of looking at it is as a symbol of perseverance and
triumph through force of will. The story behind the picture is that the
Christina of the tile was a great friend of the artist, who had been crippled
from early life by a polio like infection. And rather than confine herself to a
to a wheelchair, Christina used to pull herself around her family, the
Olsens, property on her hands collecting flowers and the such like.
So the final analogy for you to grasp is that the house in the distance is
truly sustainable long term use of fisheries and aquaculture resources, the
figure moving toward that point, maybe sometimes slowly maybe
inexorably but always moving would be the sector and the apparently
empty but on examination quite complex plain in between is populated by
all manner of things including ecolabels - the shell of the msc venus
flowing on ahead with John wayne watching her back as the shark of
I c e la ndic re sponsible fishe rie s t rie s t o st e a l a he a d t he he ll you w ill (sa id
in a john wayne manner)
Thanks you.

8. This document was created with Win2PDF available at http://www.win2pdf.com.
The unregistered version of Win2PDF is for evaluation or non-commercial use only.
This page will not be added after purchasing Win2PDF.