Norway’s North East Arctic coldwater prawn fishery has been certified as sustainable and well-managed according to the Marine Stewardship Council progeam, the Norwegian Seafood Council reported on Tuesday.
As a result, nearly three-quarters (73.6 percent) of all wild seafood caught and exported from Norway is now MSC certified, equating to about 2.3 million metric tons of products in 2011, including 633,500 metric tons of haddock, 340,000 metric tons of cod, 208,000 metric tons of mackerel and 159,500 metric tons of haddock, according to the council.
Norway is only the world’s second country to earn MSC certification for one of its coldwater prawn fisheries; Canada is the other.
This coldwater prawn (Pandalus borealis) fishery occurs in the Barents Sea and runs year-round, with the majority of landings coming between May and September. Nearly one-quarter of the catch is exported to the United Kingdom, at a value of GBP 12 million in 2010.
“MSC certifications not only highlight Norwegian seafood as a leading voice in the market place but also provide UK consumers with the peace of mind that they can enjoy sustainable Norwegian prawns for many years to come,” said Ove Johansen of the Norwegian Seafood Council.
Added Camiel Derichs, MSC’s deputy director Europe, said: “During the assessment of the fishery, the certifier found that Norway’s Barents Sea cold water prawn stock is in excellent shape, that exploitation levels are moderate to low and that the impacts of this fishery on other species and the ecosystem in the Barents Sea are limited. I congratulate the fishery on an excellent result and the MSC looks forward to working with our partners in Norway and more widely to help promote MSC certified Norwegian prawns.”
