First French fishery nets MSC certification

The Euronor fleet French saithe fishery, based in Boulonge-sur-Mer, has been awarded Marine Stewardship Council certification for sustainable and well-managed fisheries.

Five Euronor fishing vessels target saithe, which comes mainly from the northern North Sea stock and also the Norwegian Sea. The vessels make up nearly the entire French saithe fleet, representing more than 90 percent of the French quota.

The fishery entered into MSC assessment in February 2009.

“Our experience over the past 13 months has been extremely positive, and we are proud to be the first French fishery to achieve MSC certification. In the highly competitive markets in which we operate, the MSC eco-label is a seal of approval for sustainable fishing and it also opens doors to new markets,” said Euronor CEO Xavier Leduc. “Over the past months we have witnessed some notable developments in the fresh fish market and a growing interest from fish wholesalers. Many of them have already taken the necessary steps to get MSC chain of custody to ensure the traceability of our MSC-certified fish.”

A press event will be held at the MSC at the European Seafood Exposition in Brussels on 28 April to celebrate the certification.

Overall, more than 180 fisheries worldwide are engaged in the MSC program, with 64 certified and more than 120 under full assessment. More than 3,800 seafood products bear the MSC eco-label.

Earlier this week, the U.S. Atlantic sea scallop dredge fishery, the largest of its kind in the world, entered full assessment in the MSC program.

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