Germany’s well-known fish manufacturer Gottfried Friedrichs introduced the MSC eco-label for sustainable fishing to all its herring and matjes products at the beginning of this month.
The MSC label for sustainable fishing will now be found on 11 herring and matjes delicacies from Gottfried Friedrichs. The blue label identifies fish and seafood from sustainable fisheries and stands for strict criteria, independent assessments and robust controls.
Herring is one of the most popular edible fish in the world and is the second favourite choice of German consumers after Alaska pollock. Herring forms the basis for a great variety of traditional meals such as “Matjes” or “Rollmops”. The fish is an important choice of food for humans and for many creatures living in our oceans. Thus, herring resources need to be exploited in a responsible manner to secure future supplies.
Gottfried Friedrichs’ decision in favour of sustainable fishing products represents another milestone for the protection of fish resources. Marnie Bammert, MSC’s Country Manager Germany, Austria and Switzerland says: “Gottfried Friedrichs introduced the first MSC-labelled smoked salmon to the German market in 2002. With the help of a convincing marketing strategy the company successfully turned its MSC-labelled products into top sellers. It is very encouraging to see Friedrichs’ strong commitment to sustainable fishing. Their new MSC-labelled range will help increase awareness of the MSC eco-label among German consumers.”
The herring used in Friedrichs’ matjes and herring products comes from sustainably managed Norwegian fisheries that have demonstrated responsible practices in an independent assessment to the MSC’s rigorous environmental standard.
