The Canadian Northern Prawn Fishery (the second largest coldwater Nordic Shrimp and Coldwater Shrimp fishery in the world) is the first shrimp fishery in the Atlantic to enter assessment against the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) environmental standard for well-managed and sustainable wild capture fisheries.
Derek Butler from the Association of Seafood Producers in Newfoundland & Labrador which is seeking certification for the fishery says: "Entering full assessment represents a great achievement, in that it will be the first Atlantic coldwater shrimp fishery in the world under assessment, and will help advance the sustainability of fisheries through the marketplace."
Rupert Howes, Chief Executive of the MSC, welcomes the fishery's move and adds: "I'm delighted that this prawn fishery has decided to enter full assessment. Every new fishery entering assessment is another vote of confidence in the MSC certification programme. I'm sure that this development will be of great interest to European and US retailers increasingly concerned about the environmental sustainability and provenance of their seafood."
Newfoundland & Labrador Fisheries Minister Tom Rideout says his province is supportive of the initiative of industry. “This is really important to the future market development of cold water shrimp, and the sustainability of our fishery. We are happy to offer grant funding in the amount of $50,000 to cover a significant portion of the initial costs. I congratulate the Association of Seafood Producers and industry on this important step.”
Accredited certification body Moody Marine will conduct the independent evaluation of the fishery. They will assemble a team of experts which will examine the status of the fish stock, the impact of the fishery on the marine eco-system and the effectiveness of management systems. If the fishery is certified and traceability is established, the fishery will be able to use the distinctive blue MSC eco-label on product packaging.
