PFA North East Atlantic mackerel pelagic trawl: the fishers’ story
Meet the Pelagic Freezer-trawler Association North East Atlantic mackerel fishers
In July 2009, the Pelagic Freezer-Trawler Association (PFA) received MSC certification for its North East Atlantic mackerel fishery with pelagic trawl. Following the North Sea herring fishery this was the second PFA fishery to achieve MSC certification. A total of three PFA fisheries have been certified, the third one being Atlanto-Scandian herring. The Pelagic Freezer-Trawler Association unites nine European pelagic freezer-trawler shipping companies. The total international PFA fleet currently consists of 25 vessels.
Quick facts
- The North East Atlantic mackerel fishery was the second PFA fishery to become MSC certified
- The PFA is using its vessels to help gather primary research data in the area
- Policy preventing mature mackerel from being thrown overboard has been strengthened through the MSC certification process
Why we chose MSC certification
"In 2006, our herring fishery was MSC certified. That did us enormous good, and encouraged us to start looking at mackerel too. We supply mackerel to the European market, and that market has a large demand for sustainable fish with the MSC ecolabel," says Gerard van Balsfoort, Director, PFA.
The basic conditions for certification were there. The mackerel stock is a healthy stock that is managed properly on the basis of a scientifically substantiated long-term management plan.
“We supply mackerel to the European market, and that market has a large demand for sustainable fish with the MSC ecolabel.”
What sets us apart
The PFA is committed to sustainability – the fact that the North East Atlantic mackerel fishery is the second PFA fishery to receive MSC certification illustrates this.
Environmental benefits of MSC certification
The PFA is well represented in the European advisory bodies, including the Pelagic Regional Advisory Council (RAC) that advises the European Commission, the Council of Europe and the European Parliament. "We make a very active contribution to the management of pelagic fish species, which are important to us. We use our own vessels for research and we are looking at how we can help the research institute Imares and their EU counterparts by providing data from our vessels."
"We are also studying how we can fish even more specifically for the larger sizes, so that we prevent the undesired bycatch of undersized fish,” says Van Balsfoort.
How else does MSC certification benefit the environment?
Economic benefits of MSC certification
“In Europe, MSC is the standard for pelagic fish. Most pelagic fisheries are certified. Even though our main markets are outside Europe, it is incredibly important for our reputation that we can prove that we fish in a sustainable way. With MSC, a third party validates our good methods."
How else does MSC certification improve economic prospects for fisheries?
Policy benefits of MSC certification
In order to be certified as a fishery, there was one aspect that required more attention, and that was preventing mature mackerel from being thrown overboard. "This has been part of our company policy since 2001. It is morally unacceptable that this happens. The MSC certifiers required us to flesh out this procedure. Now we need to prove what we do. The crews have received clear instructions and the logs have been adjusted accordingly. We are now completely transparent."
Looking ahead…
The PFA is looking at the other species within the fleet to check if MSC certification would also be possible for them.
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Find MSC labelled products from this fishery
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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.
