Fishing for shrimp along Sweden’s West Coast is now a certifiable act, up to Marine Stewardship Council’s environmental standard for sustainable fishing.
As of 15 October, the Swedish fishing of shrimp in western waters was given the go-ahead by MSC, with the first landing catch to occur on 16 October. The fishery had undergone a 20-month audit before obtaining its certification, an extensive process that involved independent experts delving into information on Sweden’s shrimp stocks, the species’ environment and the management of the fishery.
"We are pleased that we can now offer MSC-certified shrimp. With all environmentally conscious customers, it is important to be able to prove that the prawns are fished sustainably, therefore we have chosen to undergo this check against the MSC's environmental standard," said Henrik Johansson, from the Gothenburg Fish Auction which coordinated the certification of the fisheries.
The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has given the West Coast prawns the green light as well: "WWF welcomes MSC certification and sees it as a step in the right direction towards a more sustainable fishery for Northern prawn in the North Sea. With MSC certification, we now have clear traceability from sea to table," said Inger Melander, Special Fishing and Market for WWF.
This fishery will be the first to deliver Swedish MSC labeled shrimp.
"We are especially pleased that the seafood with such importance to the Swedes has become MSC certified. This fishery is very important for anyone who wants to trade fresh MSC-labeled shrimp - and be sure the prawns on the plate comes from a sustainable fishery," says Christoph Mathiesen, head of the MSC in Scandinavia and the Baltic region.
