The Canada 4VWX purse seine herring fishery in the Bay of Fundy area is the third and largest Canadian herring fishery to achieve Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification as sustainable and well managed. Herring products from the purse seine vessels and processing companies based in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick can now carry the blue MSC label to inform customers the fishery meets a global standard for sustainability.
Meeting the world’s most recognized standard for sustainability
To achieve MSC certification the 4VWX purse seine herring fishery demonstrated that it meets a high bar of sustainability set by the MSC Fishery Standard. Widely recognized as the world’s most credible and robust standard for sustainable fishing, the MSC Standard is founded on three principles: a healthy fish stock, protection of the surrounding marine ecosystem, and effective fishery management.
“We are proud of the work our fishery has undertaken together with Fisheries and Oceans Canada to maintain the health of this important Canadian resource” says Roger Stirling, President of the Seafood Producers Association of Nova Scotia, the client representative for the 4VWX herring fishery. “As one of the longest-running commercial fisheries in Canada the herring fishery and associated processing companies have demonstrated the ability to sustain the resource. The MSC certification now allows us to clearly signal the fishery’s sustainability to global markets.
A 'clean’ fishery with local and global markets
Purse seining produces very low bycatch levels when harvesting the dense schools of herring that form during specific seasons. The fishing vessels harvest at night and return to shore for immediate processing. Annual catch for this fishery is 50,000 metric tonnes.
In addition to providing employment for fishers, herring plants in the local area employ hundreds of people in coastal communities and significantly contribute to the rural and coastal economy in the area.
A versatile fish, 4VWX herring is destined for primary markets around the world where it is sold in various forms like frozen fillets (Europe and North America), marinated and sauced canned products (Europe), smoked (kippers, in North America), canned (global), roe (Japan) and bait (Canada, for MSC certified lobster fisheries).
Jay Lugar, Program Director for MSC in Canada adds: “We congratulate the Bay of Fundy purse seine herring industry on achieving MSC certification. The fishery consistently generates employment in the local community while working diligently to protect herring stocks that also play an important role in the ecosystem as food for other fish and mammals. MSC is very pleased to see this long-standing industry take the sustainability message to global markets.”
Continued improvement
As part of the MSC Theory of Change, MSC certification requires annual audits by an independent certifier to ensure that each fishery retains its status while also implementing improvements, allowing it to progress toward an even higher level of sustainability. To help the 4VWX herring stock sustain its role in the ecosystem, the fishery has committed to meet improvement goals with respect to biomass levels.
Assessment process
The assessment against the MSC Fisheries Standard was conducted by Acoura Marine, an accredited, third-party certification body, in a robust, scientific, transparent process that considered all available information presented by all fishery participants and stakeholders with an interest in the fishery.