ODCC & FSS Launch 2025 MSC Certification Outreach for Dungeness Crab Fisheries
Open Forum Meetings Across Washington and California Scheduled for 2025
The Oregon Dungeness Crab Commission (ODCC), in collaboration with ForSea Solutions (FSS), is organizing a series of Open Forum Meetings across Washington and California throughout 2025. These meetings will:
• Host discussions in major coastal cities.
• Engage fishermen, processors, industry vendors, environmental groups, government entities, fishery management agencies, and community members.
• Gather input and build consensus on Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification requirements.
• Discuss action plans to help fisheries meet MSC sustainability standards.
Achieving MSC certification—the globally recognized standard for sustainable seafood—will:
• Ensure the long-term sustainability of Dungeness crab stocks.
• Protect marine ecosystems through responsible fisheries management.
• Enhance market access for local fishing communities.
• Provide consumers with responsibly sourced seafood options.
• Increase the marketability and value of Dungeness crab products both domestically and internationally.
Photography: Chris Peterson (courtesy of ODCC, 2025)
Purpose of the Open Forum Meetings
The Open Forum Meetings are designed as stakeholder engagement sessions to facilitate discussions on the Dungeness crab MSC certification process and broader sustainability goals.
Participants will include:
• Crabbers, processors, distributors, and retailers across the supply chain.
• Government entities, regulatory bodies, and fishery management agencies.
• NGOs and sustainability organizations aligning with marine conservation goals.
• MSC representatives providing support, answering questions, and engaging in dialogue.
Key Discussion Topics
The Open Forum Meetings will address several critical topics, including:
• Updates on the MSC fishery standard, the certification process, and the Oregon Dungeness Fishery Improvement Project (FIP).
• Harvest control rules, stock assessments, bycatch reduction, and whale entanglement mitigation.
• Strategies to align fisheries management practices across state lines.
• Compliance with Sustainability Policies required by seafood buyers in the US, Europe, and other markets.
• Using MSC certification to mitigate market fluctuations between live and processed crab markets.
Proposed Steps and Identified Phases
The outlined approach includes:
• Conducting a Washington MSC Pre-assessment (PA) and updating Oregon’s existing PA through an accredited Conformity Assessment Body (CAB) or qualified assessment team.
• Reviewing pre-assessment findings to determine readiness for Full Assessment (FA) or identify areas needing improvement.
• If both states meet readiness requirements, entering Full MSC Assessment before July 2026 (utilizing MSC fishery standard version 2.01).
• If additional improvements are needed, developing a Comprehensive Fishery Improvement Project (FIP) before initiating Full Assessment.
Potential Outcomes of Pre-Assessments:
• Initiating Full MSC Assessment if certification criteria are met.
• Launching a joint Oregon and Washington Comprehensive FIP as an interim step if further improvements are needed.
Photography: Chris Peterson (courtesy of ODCC, 2025)
Financial Considerations and Potential Funding Sources
Financial discussions include:
• Distribution of costs between Oregon and Washington, pending stakeholder agreement.
• Contributions from the industry, state support, and stakeholder cost-sharing (including ODCC, Washington Dungeness crabbers’ associations, processors, retailers, NGOs, and other key actors).
Key cost areas:
• Conducting Washington’s Pre-assessment.
• Facilitating technical support and stakeholder engagement.
• Developing and implementing a joint Comprehensive FIP if necessary.
• Conducting Full Assessment for both Oregon and Washington.
• Providing technical oversight during the Full Assessment phase.
Strategic Importance of MSC Certification to Market Stability
The Dungeness crab market is currently driven by live crab exports to China, where MSC certification is not required. However, MSC certification remains a strategic long-term investment to:
• Mitigate market fluctuations.
• Strengthen resilience between live and processed crab markets.
• Diversify access to European and international markets requiring sustainability certifications.
• Enhance competitiveness in the global seafood market.
While current market trends prioritize live exports, industry leaders emphasize the need for forward-looking strategies to secure future market access and sustainability alignment.
Oregon Dungeness Crab MSC Certification Background and 2025 Next Steps
The Oregon Dungeness Crab fishery achieved MSC certification in December 2010 but voluntarily withdrew in 2015 due to low market demand for certified products and high maintenance costs.
In 2017, ODCC commissioned a new pre-assessment under the updated Fisheries Certification Requirements v2.0. The 2018 pre-assessment recommended coordination with another West Coast state—primarily Washington—due to challenges related to harvest controls, reference points, and whale entanglement mitigation.
In response, ODCC launched a credible Fishery Improvement Project (FIP) in 2020 with technical support from ForSea Solutions. Progress has been transparently tracked through FisheryProgress.org, including:
• Adoption of a Fishery Management Plan (FMP).
• Investment in stock assessments and population modeling.
• Initiatives to reduce whale entanglement risk.
• Expansion of electronic monitoring across the tri-state fishery.
In 2022, an MSC Gap Analysis concluded that further multi-state coordination was required before entering Full Assessment. ODCC postponed entry into Full Assessment in 2023 but continues to advance toward certification readiness.
Now, ODCC and ForSea Solutions are working to re-engage Washington stakeholders with the goal of advancing a joint certification effort while MSC Standard v2.01 remains available through July 2026.
Photography: Chris Peterson (courtesy of ODCC, 2025)
Kickoff Event: Tide to Table Dinner, April 26, 2025
As part of the broader outreach initiative, the Tide to Table Dinner in Bellingham, Washington, on April 26, 2025, marks the soft kickoff to the MSC Dungeness Crab Open Forum Meetings. Hosted by the Whatcom Working Waterfront Coalition, the event celebrates local seafood communities and serves as an early step toward building momentum for coastwide MSC certification efforts.
Download the 2025 Dungeness Crab MSC Outreach Brochure to learn more about our certification efforts, upcoming events, and stakeholder meetings.
