Dutch Oyster Association oyster fishery
Last Updated: 2 February 2012
Number of fisheries: 2
Species
Native Oyster (Ostrea edulis)
Pacific Oyster (Crassostrea gigas)
MSC assessment status
The Conformity Assessment Body, Intertek Moody Marine, has announced that the Dutch Oyster Association oyster 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 period 13-15 March in Yerseke, Netherlands.
Because this assessment will use the Risk-Based Framework for PIs 1.1.1, 2.1.1, 2.2.1, 2.4.1 and 2.5.1, the certification body will request stakeholders to participate at meetings to obtain qualitative information about this fishery
Any stakeholder with information on this fishery that should be considered in the assessment, who wishes to meet with Intertek Moody Marine, or who wishes to participate in RBF meetings, should contact Andrew Hough, no later than 5pm GMT, 7 March 2012.
For further information, please view the assessment downloads.
Fishery location
Oyster stocks of Eastern Scheldt (Oosterschelde) and Lake Grevelingen
(Grevelingenmeer). FAO area 27. ICES division IVc
Fishing method
Oyster dredge
Fishery management
Management of the fisheries is the responsibility of the Dutch Oyster
Association.
Directorate General for Public Works and Water Management is responsible
for management of water bodies.
Commercial market
The larger part of the Dutch oyster output is exported to Belgium (50%). Other
export countries are Germany (8%), France (6%) and Italy (16%). The Dutch
market share in the European Union is an estimated 15%.
Assessment timeline
The assessment process is expected to take 11 months and is scheduled for completion around 09/2012. Please see the download section for a detailed assessment timeline.
The target eligibility date for this fishery is the 26/12/2011.
The MSC ecolabel can only be applied to product from certified fisheries. The MSC program does allow, in certain circumstances and within strict traceability requirements, the MSC ecolabel to be applied following certification to product caught before the actual date of certification. The target eligibility date therefore represents the date from which products may become eligible to carry the MSC ecolabel, however they cannot be sold until and if the fishery is certified. The actual eligibility date will be determined if the fishery is certified to the MSC standard.
To find out more about when fish from this fishery may be sold with the MSC ecolabel, please follow this link (http://www.msc.org/get-certified/supply-chain/eligibility-dates).
Tonnage of the fishery
2010 saw a production of about 35,000,000 pieces of Pacific Oysters and about 700,000
pieces of Native Oysters. This is typical annual production.
