The Scottish Pelagic Sustainability Group’s (SPSG) Atlanto-Scandian herring fishery on Friday was certified as sustainable and well-managed under the Marine Stewardship Council program.
The announcement comes two weeks after the Faroese Atlanto-Scandian herring fishery obtained MSC certification.
SPSG pelagic trawlers, fitted with refrigerated seawater tank systems, catch Atlanto-Scandian herring in the northeast Atlantic. The United Kingdom has a 2010 quota of 20,600 metric tons, 1.4 percent of the total quota for the Atlanto-Scandian herring fishery. Much of the harvest occurs in February, with the remainder caught in the fall.
Food Certification International conducted the assessment.
“SPSG mackerel and North Sea herring stocks already carry the MSC eco-label, and it was important to us that Atlanto-Scandian herring achieve the same standard to demonstrate our continued commitment to sustainable fishing,” said SPSG Secretary Derek Duthie.
“Scottish fisheries now account for around one in six of MSC-certified fisheries in the northeast Atlantic, compared to just one in 10 in the first half of 2008. This demonstrates real progress and is further evidence of the Scottish government’s and Seafood Scotland’s support for fisheries that wish to pursue MSC approval,” added Scottish Fisheries Secretary Richard Lochhead.
Overall, more than 180 fisheries worldwide are engaged in the MSC program, with 65 certified and more than 120 under full assessment. More than 3,800 seafood products bear the MSC eco-label.
