Fishery: Scottish Pelagic Sustainability Group Ltd (SPSG)
Western component of North East Atlantic Mackerel (Scomber scombrus)
Status:
The certification body, Food Certification International (FCI) has announced the release of the final Performance Indicators and Scoring Guideposts (PI&SGs) that will be used to evaluate the fishery against the MSC Principles and Criteria. Please refer to the downloads section for further information.
FCI has also announced that the fishery is now entering the information gathering phase of the assessment. The primary objective of this stage is to collect information on the fishery and in particular to speak to representatives of the fishery, fishery management bodies and other stakeholders of the fishery. Meetings will be carried out over the weeks commencing 19 and 26 November 2007 in the Edinburgh, Fraserburgh and Lerwick regions.
Any stakeholder with information on these fisheries that should be considered in the assessment, or who wishes to meet with FCI should contact FCI no later than 5 November 2007.
Please refer to the downloads section for further information.
Last updated: 1 November 2007
Location:
The North East Atlantic mackerel stock is sub-divided on the basis of distinct spawning areas. The Western component of the North East Atlantic mackerel stock spawns in ICES divisions VI, VII, and VIIIabc. The Scottish fleet mainly exploits the western stock. Fish that spawn as part of each distinct stock migrate to common feeding grounds, and so the stocks are considered collectively for management purposes. All the fisheries activity takes place within the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the EU and Norway.
Fishing Method:
Mid-water Trawl.
Management:
The Western mackerel fishery is managed as part of the North East Atlantic mackerel stock. This stock is managed according to the EU-Norway Agreement (December 1997) that is implemented in EU member states and Norway under national management systems, advised by ICES. Management is on the basis of annual Total Allowable Catch, supplemented by closed areas or seasons.
The 2007 UK quota is 149,519 tonnes, equal to 35 per cent of the full 422,551tonnes - Total Allowable Catch for Western Mackerel.
Main commercial market:
Landings are used entirely for human consumption with most being processed locally before export as frozen product to significant markets in Japan, Eastern Europe and sub-Saharan Africa, or to intermediate markets in Western Europe and South East Asia. Some vessels also land into Norway although overall the proportion of landings into overseas ports is small.
Assessment details:
The assessment started in May 2007.
Client:
The client for this certification is the Scottish Pelagic Sustainability Group Ltd (SPSG), a grouping of all Scottish pelagic producers, Producer Organisations and trade associations, and the main pelagic processors.
Scottish Pelagic Sustainability Group Ltd
1 Firthside Street
Fraserburgh
Aberdeenshire
AB43 9AR
Contact: Derek Duthie, Company Secretary
Tel: (01346)510714
Fax: (01346)510614
E-mail: spfa@btconnect.com
Certification Body:
Food Certification International Ltd
Findhorn House
Dochfour Business Centre
Dochgarroch
Inverness
Scotland IV3 8GY
Contact: Martin Gill, Executive Director or Melissa McFadden
Tel: +44(0)870 286 2860
Fax: +44(0)870 286 2861
E-mail: martin.gill@foodcertificationscotland.com or
melissa.mcfadden@foodcertificationscotland.com
