First French fishery awarded MSC sustainability certification
EURONOR, the French saithe fishery, based in Boulogne-sur-Mer, has just been awarded the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certificate for sustainable and well-managed fisheries following a 13-month assessment.
This is the first French fishery to achieve MSC certification and saithe from the EURONOR fleet is now eligible to display the MSC eco-label.
Five EURONOR fishing vessels target saithe in the North Sea, off Western Scotland, and in the Norwegian Sea. The fleet produces 16,000 metric tones of saithe annually. With fishing rights representing over 90% of the French quota for this species, it is the largest saithe fishing company in France and one of the largest in Europe. The fleet comprises three freezer vessels which process their catch into fillets at sea and two wet fish vessels which land fresh fish and sell them through auction.
Bruno Leduc, Deputy CEO of EURONOR, commented: "The MSC assessment process, which we entered voluntarily, has enabled us to make some improvements to our management systems to protect the environment, preserve fish stocks and secure the long-term future of our fishery. This is a thorough assessment process which requires an active commitment from the fishery. Its scientific robustness and transparency has enabled us to approach the assessment with peace of mind. We have been very impressed with the expertise and professionalism of the expert scientific team, convened by MEP, our certifier."
