Marine Ingredients Denmark, the country’s fishmeal and fish oil producers’ association, has issued a code of conduct for the industry, alongside a new video illustrating how Denmark is taking a responsible approach to sourcing fish raw materials from national and foreign fishing vessels.
The video shows how Danish fishmeal producers, in collaboration with fishermen, ensure all fish deliveries used by the sector are appropriately registered and handled.
“As Europe’s largest producer of marine ingredients, the Danish industry holds a particular responsibility. By taking the lead, we wish to show the way for the entire industry and inspire others to do the same. We hope that this film will create precedence in the global industry,” Marine Ingredients Denmark Director Anne Mette Bæk said.
Since April this year, Danish companies that purchase fish in so-called “unsorted pelagic bulk landings” directly from fishing vessels have been obliged to take specific samples and analyze the species in the catch. The legislation requires that a certified third-party is responsible for weighing every unsorted pelagic bulk landing.
The Danish industry has outsourced the task of sampling and sorting species to certified third-party operators that are already responsible for weighing these catches. This process is incorporated in the Code of Conduct.
“With the new code of conduct, we emphasize that Denmark is and will be a pioneering country when it comes to responsibility and sustainability,” Bæk said. “It is all about trust. With the responsibility for species sorting and weighing in the hands of third-party companies, everything is fully transparent and the Danish fishmeal industry has nothing to hide.”
Valued at DKK 841 million (USD 137.2 million, EUR 113 million) in 2018, unsorted pelagic landings are a significant part of the Danish fishing industry.
