Scotland’s saithe fishery has entered Marine Stewardship Council assessment. If successful, the fishery will be awarded the MSC ecolabel as a sustainable and well-managed fishery.
Date:
Tue, 12 Jul 2011
Source:
MSC
The fishery is being entered for assessment by the Scottish Fisheries Sustainable Accreditation Group (SFSAG) whose North Sea haddock fishery was MSC certified in October 2010. The SFSAG North Sea Nephrops fishery is also currently going through full assessment.
Scottish saithe is caught in the North Sea and up the west coast of Scotland. The boats use a variety of fishing gears and the assessment will include all 210 saithe fishing boats that are members of the SFSAG.
Mike Park, chairman of SFSAG says: “Sustainability accreditation is high on the agenda for many of the businesses buying from the Scottish fleet. Entering the SFSAG Northern Shelf Saithe fishery into MSC full assessment is another step in assisting the Scottish industry to remain competitive in the global market and to ensure that our products are available to as wide an audience as possible.”
Claire Pescod, UK Fisheries Outreach Manager for the MSC added: "The SFSAG's members represent over 300 Scottish fishermen and entering this latest fishery into assessment is further confirmation of their commitment to sustainable fishing practices and the healthy, sustainable future of the Scottish fishing industry. More than half of Scotland's fisheries by value are engaged in the MSC process and a large proportion of that is through the hard work and vision of the SFSAG and their members. I look forward to working further with the SFSAG as their latest assessment progresses."
More information: