The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and the Dutch Dover sole gill net fishery celebrated the season’s first catch of Dutch MSC certified Dover sole at the European Seafood Exhibition (ESE) this week.
Rupert Howes, MSC Chief Executive, was presented with the first catch, and congratulated the gill net fishers on their success in securing MSC certification.
The Dover sole gill net fishery operates in the Dutch coastal waters, targeting the larger fish that come inshore. The fishing season runs from April to the end of October. This small scale fishery operates with 60 vessels, together catching about 200 tonnes of sole a year. The fishery secured certification following a rigorous 12-month independent assessment, commissioned by the Dutch Fisheries Organisation (DFO), on behalf of 44 fishers.
The introduction of a new management plan, which included restrictions on the number of fishing licenses issued and the length of nets used, was critical to the fishery’s success in securing certification.
Gill net fisher, Rems Cramer, described what MSC certification means to the fishers: “The gill net fishery delivers a top quality catch: the MSC ecolabel is easily recognised by customers and proves our method of fishing is sustainable and does not damage the ecosystem. We hope that this will lead to greater demand for our product that it deserves.”
