Prize for Australian scientist

The highest global ecology award, the Japan Prize, has been presented to Australian marine scientist Dr Keith Sainsbury recently.

Dr Sainsbury received his award from the Emperor of Japan in Tokyo.

He has been chosen as winner of this year's $625,000 prize for his work in food production based on ecosystem concepts.

A CSIRO fisheries modeller and marine ecologist based in Hobart, Dr Sainsbury is also chairman of the Scientific Advisory Board for the consumer eco certification labelling system, Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) - and an evangelist for sustainable fishing practices.

His prize has been awarded for work on the development of a sustainable marine ecosystem, based on trawling practices on Australia's North-West Shelf, where more than a decade ago he recognised the destructive impact of uncontrolled fishing. His work was central to controls on trawling the shelf. Nets were not banned but held to a level that was sustainable for the seabed.

Dr Sainsbury believes messages about the importance of sustainable fishing practices are getting through to ordinary people as a result of initiatives such as MSC's eco- labelling program, directed at consumers.

MSC certification for fisheries that employ sustainable practices allows consumers to easily identify these labelled products and make an informed choice at the supermarket. The world's first fishery certified to the MSC's strict environmental standard was an Australian Fishery - the Western Australia Rock Lobster Fishery. Since then, a further six fisheries have been certified, another 13 are under intensive assessment and 30 have started on the assessment process (this is worldwide)

MSC Regional Director, Asia Pacific, Duncan Leadbitter, said Dr Sainsbury's prize is a major acknowledgement of the value of marine ecosystems and his ongoing commitment to sustainable fisheries will have lasting benefit for not only the marine environment but seafood lovers all over the world.