VICTORIA - The British Columbia Seafood Alliance will receive $100,000 from the B.C. government to help secure Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) sustainability certification for a variety of B.C. fisheries, Environment Minister Barry Penner announced today.

"Attaining MSC certification will ensure that the B.C. seafood industry remains strong in an increasingly competitive global market," said
Penner. "By securing certification of a number of B.C. fisheries, we are also leading Canada in third-party eco-certification, and drawing
international attention to our commitment to environmentally responsible, sustainable fisheries."

MSC certification rewards environmentally responsible fishery management and practices through a label that identifies seafood products that have been assessed as sustainable by a third party.

In recent years, an increasing number of major international purchasers have started demanding MSC certification of most seafood products. To maintain market share and become a world leader in fisheries management, B.C. must work with the seafood industry and the federal agency responsible for fisheries management on the assessment processes
currently underway, and to assist fisheries entering the pre-assessment phase of MSC certification.

"Many of our international customers require MSC certification," said Christina Burridge, British Columbia Seafood Alliance executive
director. "This funding will help us meet that requirement to demonstrate that our fisheries are well-managed and sustainable."

In British Columbia, the salmon, halibut and hake fisheries are currently going through the MSC assessment process. In addition, the
dogfish, spot prawn, urchin and a number of other fisheries are in pre-assessment or in the beginning stages of the assessment process.

The Marine Stewardship Council is an independent, global, non-profit organisation that seeks to reverse the continued decline in the world's fisheries by developing an environmental standard for sustainable and
well-managed fisheries.

For more information on MSC certification, please visit the Marine Stewardship Council's website at www.msc.org.