Norway's Domstein Longline Partners cod and haddock longline fishery is now certified as well managed and sustainable under the Marine Stewardship Council program, the London-based organization announced today.
It is the world's first Atlantic cod and haddock fishery and Norway's third fishery to attain MSC certification.
The harvest yields about 5,000 metric tons of cod and 3,000 metric tons of haddock annually. The MSC-labeled cod and haddock will be available as fresh and frozen fillets and loins in Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, France, Germany and the United States.
Through a partnership with Ervik Havfiske, Domstein, based in Maloy on Norway's west coast, employs hooks and lines to catch the fish, allowing for minimal bycatch. Ervik Havfiske is Norway's largest longline fishing company, with a fleet of 12 vessels and an annual fishing capacity of 11,000 metric tons. Domstein owns 50 percent of the company.
"The MSC certification is an important recognition of the sustainability of the Norwegian longline fisheries. It is a great event for us and our partners," said Domstein CEO Rolf Domstein, whose grandfather founded Domstein nearly 90 years ago.
"The certification of the Domstein Longline Partners cod and haddock longline fishery marks a historic milestone for the MSC," said Camiel Derichs, the MSC's manager for northern Europe. "I very much hope that the leadership position taken by Domstein will inspire other fisheries in the North Atlantic to obtain MSC certification."
More than 160 fisheries are engaged in the MSC program -41 are certified, 101 are under assessment and another 20 to 30 are in confidential pre-assessment. More than 2,000 seafood products worldwide carry the MSC eco-label.
February 26, 2009
