The Marine Stewardship Council announced on 4 June that the Doggerbank Seefisherei GmbH halibut fishery, off the west coast of Greenland, has achieved certification to MSC standards.
The announcement comes after a 13-month assessment carried out by Control Union Pesca. With the latest certification, all fisheries in the European Union that are catching Greenland halibut are MSC-certified.
"We are delighted our Greenland halibut fishery has been awarded an MSC certificate,” Uwe Richter, managing director of Doggerbank, said. “This is recognition for our captains' and crews' fishing practices in Greenlandic waters, which have been practiced for years and which are environmentally friendly and gentle on stocks. The use of special fishing techniques to reduce bycatch and minimize the environmental impact as well as a responsible management system.”
Doggerbank’s two deep-sea trawlers, the “Mark” and “Gerda Maria,” catch Greenland halibut during fishing trips that last several weeks between June and December, according to the MSC.
“Greenland halibut, a flatfish mainly found in the North Atlantic, is one of the most valuable fish in German deep-sea fishing. The heads and tails are frozen separately on board as there is a demand for them in Asian markets,” the MSC wrote in a release.
The first Atlantic halibut fishery was certified in 2013, and the first Greenland halibut fishery was certified in June 2017.
