Shrimp fisheries seek MSC certification

Canada’s offshore northern shrimp and offshore striped shrimp fisheries on Thursday announced they have entered full assessment for Marine Stewardship Council certification.

Both fisheries capture the coldwater shrimp in otter trawls and operate in the northwestern Atlantic and Arctic oceans in offshore areas of Canada’s exclusive economic zone.

If the fisheries are certified, the Canadian Association of Prawn Producers (CAPP) and the Northern Coalition will hold the MSC certificate. Products from all 17 offshore shrimp license holders would then be eligible to bear the MSC eco-label.

The northern shrimp fishery assessment includes only offshore vessels longer than 100 feet. In 2008, they had access to approximately 85,000 metric tons of quota from the certified areas.

The striped shrimp fishery had a 2008 quota of 9,800 metric tons and is the main striped shrimp fishery in the area. Both fisheries produce mainly frozen-at-sea, raw and cooked shell-on shrimp products, which are marketed primarily in Russia, Ukraine, China, Japan and Western Europe.

“An increasing number of buyers who are important to the Canada offshore northern and striped shrimp fisheries are asking for MSC certification on seafood products, and we aim to meet that demand,” said Bruce Chapman, CAAP executive director. “We’re proud of our efforts to be a sustainable fishery.”

Moody Marine will conduct the third-party assessment, which may take up to 14 months to complete.

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