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#02-12-2013 - ComFish News Roundup (NPR investigates MCS & sustainable label) (22 min. audio)

DANIEL ZWERDLING and MARGOT WILLIAMS
February 11, 201312:00 PM

Part one of a three-part series.
MSC Label
Rebecca Weel pushes a baby stroller with her 18-month-old up to the seafood case at Whole Foods, near ground zero in New York. As she peers at shiny fillets of salmon, halibut and Chilean sea bass labeled "certified sustainable," Weel believes that if she purchases this seafood, she will help protect the world's oceans from overfishing. But some leading environmentalists have a different take: Consumers like Weel are being misled by a global program that amounts to "greenwashing" — a strategy that makes consumers think they are protecting the planet, when actually they are not. At Whole Foods, the seafood counter displays blue labels from the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), an international, nonprofit organization. The MSC is a prime example of an economic trend: Private groups, not the government, are telling consumers what is good or bad for the environment. The MSC says its label guarantees that the wild seafood was caught using methods that do not deplete the natural supply. It also guarantees that fishing companies do not cause serious harm to other life in the sea, from coral to dolphins. The idea is spreading fast throughout the food industry. Megachains like Target, Costco and Kroger are selling seafood with the MSC label. McDonald's says you are munching on "certified sustainable" wild Alaskan pollock every time you eat a Filet-O-Fish sandwich. The fast-food company has used MSC-certified fish since 2007 in the U.S., and as of February, they are putting the MSC logo on their fish sandwich boxes..... http://www.npr.org/2013/02/11/171376509/is-sustainable-labeled-seafood-really-sustainable
14 days left to comment on FDA Approval of Frankenfish
FEBRUARY 11, 2013 10:00 AM
Some of us may have concerns over going forward with the approval of, and production of genetically modified salmon. Rep. Paul Seaton, of Homer, another Alaska fishing town, offered this information about how you can respond either way to the FDA’s draft... http://sewardcitynews.com/2013/02/public-comment-requested-on-fda-approval-of-genetically-modified-salmon/

Wastewater bill gets first reading on Senate floor
Juneau legislators: Extend less stringent criteria to 2020
Posted: February 12, 2013 - 12:02am
By RUSSELL STIGALL
JUNEAU EMPIRE
Governor Sean Parnell’s cruise ship wastewater legislation was introduced on the Senate floor Monday morning. Senate Majority Leader John Coghill R-North Pole asked to have the bill held at second reading until the next floor session. While Juneau’s Democratic and Republican Legislative delegates may disagree on their support of Parnell’s wastewater bill, they agree.... http://juneauempire.com/state/2013-02-12/wastewater-bill-gets-first-reading-senate-floor

Porterville Recorder: Icicle hoping to land some workers
February 11, 2013 1:51 PM
A person in Porterville would not think about finding a job on the icy seas, but that is exactly the opportunity being given today at the Porterville Employment Connection, 1061 W. Henderson... http://www.recorderonline.com/news/seafood-55937-porterville-connection.html
















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