Alaska fishermen protested Wednesday outside an Anchorage Wal-Mart store after the company decided to only buy seafood certified as sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), fish in a fishery improvement program or any equivalent certification program. Many Alaska processors have dropped the MSC program due to costs and paperwork, according to Greg Gabriel, executive director of the Northwest and Alaska Seiners Association of Kenai, Alaska. Gabriel said:
"We would like Wal-Mart to recognize that there are other certifications out there, and the state of Alaska is a leader in sustainability, always has been, always will be."