Osprey Trawlers North Sea twin-rigged plaice: the fishers' story
Meet the Osprey Trawlers North Sea plaice fishers
The Dutch Osprey Group received MSC certification for their sustainable fishing methods for North Sea plaice in 2010. Their plaice is no longer being sold by the auction clock but by means of contracts. Cees de Boer from the Osprey Group believes this will enable him to receive a better and more consistent price.
Quick facts
- Twin-rigging method reduces fuel consumption
- Areas with high biodiversity are avoided
- MSC certificate enables a good market position of North Sea plaice; only sustainable plaice gets access to the shelves of European supermarkets
- Osprey Group’s own marketing strategy for sustainable plaice has proven successful
Why we chose MSC certification
"Back in 1999, we, the Osprey Group, decided to catch North Sea plaice in a different way. We moved from beam-trawl fishery to twin-rigged fishery. Twin rigging consumes much less energy; these days we use 60 per cent less fuel. At the moment we sail four twin-rigged cutters."
Following the conversion to twin-rigged vessels, MSC certification came into the Osprey Group’s sights. Twin-rigged fishery with larger meshes reduces undesired bycatch and the lighter gear has less of an impact on the seabed. These aspects are of crucial importance to sustainable fishery for plaice.
“We are enormously proud that our fishery is proven sustainable and awarded with the MSC ecolabel. We respect nature and above all, we strive to safeguard our future. MSC certification contributes to that.”
- Cees de Boer, Osprey Group
For a couple of years, North Sea plaice was on WWF red list and there was concern that plaice would completely disappear from supermarket shelves. Cees de Boer believes that MSC certification has been vital in getting North Sea plaice back on the shelves of the supermarkets. "The MSC ecolabel for our plaice gave us the chance to promote our product properly and to ensure that wild plaice returns to the supermarkets," says de Boer. "That is why we started the certification project."
What sets us apart
Osprey Group was one of the first North Sea fisheries to receive MSC certification. They made major decisions to come so far - for example, avoiding certain fragile areas with high biodiversity. Osprey Group are continuously improving and searching for possibilities to save fuel, reduce impact on the sea bottom and avoid discards. They have already reached a high standard and have proven to have just around five per cent of bycatch.
Environmental benefits of MSC certification
In order to receive MSC certification, the Osprey Group made several commitments. In consultation with the North Sea Foundation and the WWF, the Osprey Group voluntarily agreed to close selected areas. The fishery also participates in scientific research programmes: For a year, undesired bycatch is recorded as part of a study into the fishery’s impact on life on the seabed.
How else does MSC certification benefit the environment?
Economic benefits of MSC certification
"We are enormously proud that our fishery is proven sustainable and awarded with the MSC ecolabel. MSC certification offers us many market opportunities. Our fish is now sold under a highly respected ecolabel – MSC. We are one of few parties that offer MSC certified North Sea plaice, so we have an advantage."
This is part of the reason why the Osprey Group decided to market their fish exclusively, which was a new aspect for them. Until recently they always took their fish to auction. Now they receive more feedback from the market.
"Onboard we use new procedures that are focused on landing an even better quality. Besides sustainability, we are trying to stand out with our quality. It gives a completely new dimension to our work that we have to get used to. We hope that our wild North Sea plaice with the MSC ecolabel regains a prominent place on the supermarket shelves."
Plaice from the Osprey Group is marketed exclusively by a separate sales office, which ensures that the fishing plan of the Osprey Group is attuned to market demand in the best possible way. Quality improvements have also been introduced in consultation with the sales office. Prices for plaice have been under severe pressure for some time, which also affects the Osprey Group. "So far we have been extremely satisfied with our new way of working. Now we are sure to receive a reasonable price for our fish," says Cees de Boer.
How else does MSC certification improve economic prospects for fisheries?
Social benefits of MSC certification
Cees de Boer is a member of a fishing family from Urk that has fished for many generations, and is confident that the MSC ecolabel will contribute to securing a future for the new generations of fishers. "The MSC certificate demonstrates that our plaice is fished in a sustainable manner. We respect nature and above all, we strive to safeguard our future."
Looking ahead…
The marketing of plaice is changing: The market is asking for shorter chains between the fishery and the consumer and the Osprey Group are able to offer this - the group controls each part of the chain from boat to plate. "For plaice we have fulfilled the first 2 P’s of our Corporate Social Responsibility (people, planet) and we are working with our partners to secure the 3rd P (profit) for the long-term."
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The article above was written by an independent journalist commissioned by the MSC to find out how MSC certification has helped this fishery.
