ANCHORAGE, Alaska, Jan. 11 (UPI) -- Alaska's multimillion-dollar cod industry is on track to be certified as a sustainable fishery, a move that should increase sales, industry officials said.
The industry expects within days to receive certification from the Marine Stewardship Council in London, said Larry Cotter, head of the Aleutian Pribilof Island Community Development Association.
The council's seal of approval means Pacific cod could bring prices 3 percent to 5 percent higher than non-certified fish, especially in Europe, the Alaska Journal of Commerce reported Monday.
"Europe is big on (council-approved) products and it is important for pollock. I assume it will be important for cod as well, so I would say it's a plus for us," Cotter said.
The council works globally with fisheries, seafood companies, scientists and conservation groups to promote the best environmental choice in seafood, the council's Web site said.
The sustainability label also is important to an increasing number of U.S. retailers, including Walmart and Whole Foods, which have committed to buying seafood only from sustainable fisheries.
