MSC certification for Swedish North East Atlantic mackerel fishery
The Swedish Pelagic Producers Organisation (SPPO) North East Atlantic mackerel fishery has been certified as sustainable against the MSC environmental standard for sustainable and well managed fisheries.
Around 4,000mt of North East Atlantic mackerel will now be eligible to display the blue MSC ecolabel in the market place.
The certified SPPO Swedish North East Atlantic Mackerel (Scombur scombrus) fishery comprises 23 pair pelagic trawlers and three purse seine vessels. All trawls are rigged for full pelagic use meaning that they do not skim the seabed as semi-pelagic trawls can; instead, all efforts are made to avoid bottom contact to reduce any risks of the fishing gear damaging the bottom. The fishery operates from September to December with its products primarily sold on the Danish, Norwegian and UK markets.
“Our vision is to have all our fisheries MSC-certified. Mackerel is very important economically for us, despite the low quotas; we are making the most of the demand for certified mackerel. With this certification we are also able to show the world that we take responsibility for the fish stocks and for the environment. The MSC ecolabel is a testament to this,” says Björn Lindblad, SPPO.