The Scottish Pelagic Sustainability Group (SPSG) and vessels from Compagnie-des-Pêches de Saint Malo joined the multinational Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) assessment for North Atlantic blue whiting. The fleets join vessels from Denmark, France, Germany, Lithuania and the Netherlands to be assessed.
Both companies hold MSC certificates – SPSG for herring and Compagnie-des-Pêches de Saint Malo for saithe. The addition of the two new fleets brings the total catch under assessment to more than 100,000 metric tons.
“By bringing together a large, multinational group of fishers to bring the North Atlantic blue whiting fishery into assessment, this group has already realised savings on assessment costs and has shown how they are already working together to improve the fishery’s management,” said Camiel Derichs, director-Europe for MSC.
“The addition of the new French and Scottish fleets strengthens that group and I hope we will see many more fisheries adopting a similar model in the future.”
The assessment is being carried out by independent auditors MacAlister Elliott and Partners (MEP) and will include the catches in the 2015 fishing season.
