The M/V Nordheim fishing vessel, sole license holder for the Faroese queen scallop fishery, has entered the full assessment process within the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification program.
The M/V Nordheim is owned by O C Joensen, the certification client. Fishing occurs in two areas within the 200nm EEZ limit of the Faeroes (east of the island Nolsoy and north of 62° 25‟ N). The gear used is a twin dredge and the minimum landing size of a scallop is 55mm.
The queen scallop is the only bivalve of commercial interest in the Faroe Islands. A fishery targeting queen scallops within the Faroese EEZ began in 1970, inspired by the Scottish queen scallop fishery. A full assessment of the fishery was undertaken during the 1980s and impact studies of the dredge on the seabed have been undertaken by the Faroese Marine Laboratory since the beginning of the decade. The main market for the fishery is to mainland Europe.
Jógvan Martin F Joensen, director for Project Development at O C Joensen comments: “The reason why we want to continue with the full assessment is that by obtaining the MSC approval we can show the world that our fishery is sustainable. It is important that this is communicated to customers and other stakeholders by a trusted organisation.”
