Barents Sea cod and haddock fisheries in cooperation with Ocean Trawlers Group enter MSC full assessment
Jan 14, 2009
The Barents Sea cod and haddock fisheries in cooperation with Ocean Trawlers Group have entered full assessment with a view to certification under the Marine Stewardship Council standard for sustainable and well-managed fisheries.
About the Barents Sea fisheries
The Barents Sea fisheries are international fisheries that are within the Norwegian and Russian Exclusive Economic Zones (within 200 miles of the Norwegian and Russian coasts). They are managed by the Joint Norwegian-Russian Fisheries Commission which sets quotas and stipulates reciprocal access to fisheries in national zones and quota exchanges for joint as well as national stocks.
The certifier
The independent MSC accredited certifier Food Certification International (FCI) will oversee this full assessment and is now in the process of contacting organizations and individuals with an interest in the fisheries.
What Ocean Trawlers Group says
Gunnar Mansfeld, Ocean Trawlers CEO said: “Everyone within Ocean Trawlers’ supply chain has worked very hard to ensure that we could reach a successful completion of the pre-assessment. A positive recommendation for full assessment is a major breakthrough and recognition of the work the main suppliers have done in the Barents Sea.”
The MSC certification process provides objective, third-party fishery assessment utilizing scientific evidence; transparent processes with built-in stakeholder consultation and objection procedures, as well as standards based on the sustainability of target species, ecosystems and management procedures.
If Ocean Trawlers completes the MSC full assessment and traceability certification successfully it will have the right to label cod and haddock harvested in these certified Barents Sea operations from its main suppliers with the MSC logo.
What the MSC says
Camiel Derichs, Manager for Northern Europe of the Marine Stewardship Council said: “The Russian and Norwegian fisheries management, as well as the fishing industry, has made great progress in addressing illegal unreported and unregulated fishing in the Barents Sea. Cod and Haddock stocks are currently at very high levels and I hope that Ocean Trawlers group can demonstrate full traceability and sustainability during the assessment process and become MSC certified.”
About the Ocean Trawlers Group
The Ocean Trawlers Group is a market leader in supplying and processing cod and haddock from the North Atlantic and a significant player in the global seafood industry. Based in Hong Kong, Ocean Trawlers handle 120,000 metric tonnes of fish and seafood annually. The Group works the length of the value chain, from procurement and trading to re-processing and sales to whole-sellers and large food retail companies across Europe and USA.
Further information
For further information, please contact Michael Larsson +852 2446-8200 or email michael.larsson@threetownscapital.com
www.oceantrawlers.com
For any media inquiries please contact media@msc.org.
