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The ongoing battle over Marine Stewardship Council certification of Alaska salmon erupted anew with a letter from Rob Zuanich on behalf of the Alaska Salmon Processors Association to Stefanie Moreland, representing the major processors — Trident, Peter Pan, Icicle, Ocean Beauty, North Pacific and Leader Creek.

The ASPA is a group of smaller processors who account for about 15 percent of Alaska’s salmon harvest. The major processors make up the rest. In 2012, the big processors acted together in deciding to take a leap away from MSC and strike out on their own. Now they want back in, but according to the letter, the effort is too little too late.

When the big processors decided to move away from MSC, one of the reasons was because the expense of keeping the ecolabel was burdensome and at the time perceived as potentially unnecessary for the seafood powerhouse that is Alaska salmon. After all, the relationship started when MSC asked the big Alaska processors to carry the ecolabel to help MSC gain international recognition. And that it did.

As such, it seems reasonable that the state of Alaska might have the notion that it is big enough to compete with MSC. Alaska salmon is a pristine brand recognized the world over that could seemingly rely on its history and products to make inroads into European markets where MSC has had a stranglehold on access.

It’s understandable that at that point the small processors may have felt left behind in the wake of major international business decisions. The string of organizations potentially taking over for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game as MSC client for the salmon fishery resulted in the loss of critical time to complete the assessment for 2013. The smaller processors lost a summer season with MSC because of the political battle they fought against the major processors who were pushing for all Alaska salmon to forge ahead without MSC. And in retrospect, it’s clear that the ASPA members made the right move for their businesses to keep their label with MSC.

Now that the major processors want back in, the ASPA has their chance to wield a little power, and that they have by putting off allowing the major processors to join their client group until after the summer (read: money-making) season is over, as Zuanich explained in his letter.

The letter also claims the big salmon processors stepped away from MSC and urged other associations to stand down as its client. The motive being that if all Alaska salmon withdrew from the European marketplace, perhaps the market itself would accept the group’s choice of the Food and Agriculture Organization’s Responsible Fisheries Management label to fill the void of wild salmon.

But the bottom line is the bottom line: The big companies have the capital to withstand a few iffy seasons while establishing a new ecolabel; the small ones may not. The big companies simply can’t expect the small processors to manage the risk in the same way. So could they have done something to sweeten the pot for the small companies? Perhaps. Would that have been a good business move? In retrospect, perhaps. At the time, I doubt that seemed like an sensible option.

Now MSC is entering the fray in an attempt to mediate and bring the major processors onboard for the season.

In the world of Alaska salmon politics, it doesn’t get better than a ringside seat at this fight.

This intricate dance illustrates that while Alaska is a seafood giant renowned for its salmon industry, there are many political factors at play within that single fishery.

If nothing else, it has gotten salmon fishermen charged up for a season that is predicted to break records, and with the prospect of a stronghold in MSC-dominated European markets, all the more reason to be (tentatively) excited about boat prices and Christmas bonuses.

If you’re planning on a winter trip to Hawaii or Arizona, I recommend you book your tickets now. I suspect most Alaska Air flights to sunny winter havens will be sold out by the end of summer.

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Jessica Hathaway is the former editor in chief of National Fisherman.

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