The EURONOR fleet, based in Boulogne-sur-mer, France, will be assessed by an independent certifier under the Marine Stewardship Council’s (MSC) environmental standard for sustainable and well-managed wild capture fisheries.
It is the second French fishery to enter the MSC's certification programme.
Six EURONOR fishing vessels target saithe. The saithe comes mainly from the northern North sea stock, but also the Norwegian sea. In addition, these vessels make up almost the entire French fleet targeting saithe and represent over 90% of the French quota.
Patrice Leduc, President of EURONOR, said: "EURONOR was set up jointly by two large family-owned fishing fleets committed to ensuring responsible fishing to safeguard seafood supplies. That's why the MSC certification is a company-wide project profoundly rooted in our family traditions. We want to get our fishing practices assessed by a third party in order to promote our heritage and add value to our products.
"Our move towards MSC certification is the result of a consultation that started three years ago. We considered several certification programmes and seafood ecolabels and we decided to opt for MSC for a number of reasons, including its scientifically robust approach and its international recognition. Moreover, MSC is fast becoming a necessity in the highly competitive markets in which we operate."
Nicolas Guichoux, MSC Regional Director – Europe, commented: "The entry of EURONOR in the MSC programme is a milestone for the MSC in France. Saithe is a commercially important species in Europe and especially in France. The Norwegian and German saithe fisheries were awarded the MSC certificate in June and October 2008. We are delighted that the French saithe fishery has come forward to be assessed against the MSC standard for sustainable and well-managed wild capture fisheries. If EURONOR achieves certification, MSC certified saithe from this fishery would be available in France by 2010".
The certification body, MacAlister Elliott and Partners Ltd will convene a team of scientific experts who will assess the fishery against the MSC standard. If the fishery meets the MSC standard, its products will be eligible to carry the MSC ecolabel.
