Credit: A l'assaut des remparts
First French fishery moves forward into full assessment
10 February 2009
Southern Brittany’s purse seine sardine fishery has entered full assessment in order to obtain the Marine Stewardship Council's (MSC) certificate for sustainable and well-managed fisheries. It is the first French fishery to engage in the MSC programme.
What the Association of Purse Seine Fishers in Brittany says
Purse seining is practised by Breton and Basque fishers in the Bay of Biscay. Didier Le Gloanec, President of the Association of Purse Seine Fishers in Brittany, said: “We have teamed up with the view to achieving MSC certification in order to promote our profession. We are proud of what we do and we want to reassert the value of what we do to the general public. The sardine is not subject to quotas, but we have put in place a license-based system to better manage the resource by reducing for instance the number of boats and days at sea. Over the years, purse seine fishers have worked hard to improve the quality of their products: thanks to refrigerated sea water tanks, the quality is guaranteed until the fish is landed throughout the fishing season. It is in this spirit that we embark on this MSC journey.”
The purse-seiner fleet prosecuting the fishery consists of 18 active fishing vessels less than 17 meters long, registered with the coastal districts of Douarnenez, Le Guilvinec and Concarneau.
98% of the sardines caught in South Brittany are landed at the ports of Concarneau, Saint Guénolé and Douarnenez and sold through the auction market either by contract or direct sales. Didier Le Gloanec commented : “We hope that the certification will add value to our products and will give us access to new markets not only in France but also overseas”.
What the MSC says
Nicolas Guichoux, MSC Regional Director – Europe said : “We are happy that the first French fishery has entered full assessment and we hope it will achieve MSC certification. Throughout those 10 years of operations, the MSC has earned the trust of a growing number of (key) players in the fishing industry around the world. From Alaska to Norway, to New Zealand and Japan, the number of fisheries in the programme, particularly in Europe, is on the rise. We are delighted that the Association of Purse Seine Fishers in Brittany wants to be the initiator of this project in France. The fishers' support and commitment as well as the mobilization of consumers are our best option to help reverse the decline of fish stocks around the world.”
Edouard Le Bart, the MSC Commercial Manger for France added: “The sardine is deeply ingrained in the fishing traditions and the Brittany cultural heritage. French consumers are fond of fresh and canned sardines. Sardines have been fished since the 16th century along the Brittany coast and we are delighted that this ancient and historically-significant fishery has moved forward into full assessment. We very much hope that the purse seine sardine fishery's decision to enter into full assessment will open the way to other French fisheries and encourage them to join the MSC programme this year.”
The Southern Brittany purse seine fishery will be assessed against the three principles of the MSC standard. Bureau Veritas Certification will form a team of scientific experts who will assess the fish stocks, measure the impact of the fishery on the ecosystem and study its management system.
The MSC Standard allows fisheries to prove their sustainability thanks to a third party assessment process. Fisheries voluntarily seek certification: the MSC is committed to fair and equal access for all fisheries regardless of their size, type and their location. Assessment against the MSC standard is a transparent process that is open to people and organisations with an interest in the fishery.
About the purse seine
The purse seine is a large "sliding" fishing net used since the beginning of the 20th century in Brittany. Drawn from the boat, the purse seine net is usually several hundred meters long and is used to encircle a school of fish once it has been located. Along the bottom of the purse seine net are a number of rings. A rope passes through all the rings, and when pulled, draws the rings close to one another turning the net into a "purse" and preventing the fish from swimming down. The net is then brought alongside the boat little by little. The fish captured alive is then transferred to the boat thanks to "landing nets" known as salabardes in Brittany.
About the Association of Purse Seine Fishers in Brittany
The Association of Purse Seine Fishers in Brittany was set up in 2005 and represents a group of purse seine fishers in Southern Brittany. The group’s 18 vessels currently catch around 15,000 tons of sardines annually.
The association’s objectives are threefold:
- Promote purse-seining as a fishing practice
- Add value to its seafood products
- Represent purse seine fishers before institutions dealing with this type of gear
For more information on the association, please contact Didier Le Gloanec on +33 6 21 93 57 56 or email didier.legloanec@orange.fr
Further information
For more information on fisheries engaged in the MSC programme, please visit: http://www.msc.org/track-a-fishery
For any media inquiries please contact media@msc.org.
