The Scottish Pelagic Sustainability Group (SPSG) on Wednesday announced that its West of Scotland herring pelagic trawl fishery is now pursuing Marine Stewardship Council certification as a sustainable and well-managed fishery. If successful, all of SPSG’s key landings will be MSC-certified.
SPSG, which represents all sectors of Scotland’s pelagic industry, already holds MSC certification for its North Sea herring, Atlanto-Scandian herring and North East Atlantic mackerel fisheries. Collectively, the fisheries land around 200,000 metric tons of fish and account for more than 98 percent of pelagic quota by volume and value.
“The Scottish Pelagic Sustainability Group’s continuing commitment to demonstrating their sustainability through the MSC program is outstanding,” said Claire Pescod, MSC UK fisheries outreach manager. “Between the group’s members they represent around 90 percent of the UK’s mackerel and herring catch, and by aiming to add this fourth fishery to their portfolio, the SPSG is really demonstrating the business case for MSC fishery certification. I hope that we can all look forward to another successful certification from this progressive group.”
