A prawn fishery in Sweden has become the first in its country to receive certification from the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) for sustainable fishing.
Following a 20-month assessment, the fishery can now carry the blue MSC ecolabel.
“We are delighted that we can offer MSC certified prawns. With environmentally conscious customers, it is important that we are able to prove that the prawns are fished sustainably,” said Henrik Johansson, coordinator of the fishery’s certification at Gothenburg Fish Auction.
Despite there already being MSC labelled prawns in most supermarkets in Sweden, this fishery is the first that will be able to delivery MSC certified Swedish prawns. Caught all year round the fishery produces almost 1,500 tonnes of prawns annually.
Christoph Mathiesen, programme director of MSC in Scandinavia and the Baltic Sea region, said: “We are very happy that a shellfish with this big importance for the Swedes has become MSC certified.”
“This fishery means a lot for anyone who wants to buy fresh MSC labelled prawns and at the same time be certain they come from a sustainable fishery,” he added.
By entering into the MSC programme the Swedish fishery is making a commitment to sustainability. The MSC standard is globally recognised as the most rigorous and independent certification for sustainable wild-caught seafood.
