The Northern Ireland Pelagic Sustainability Group (NIPSG) Irish Sea herring fishery has become the first Irish Sea fishing fleet to gain Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification.
Atlantic herring has been fished in the Irish Sea since the Middle Ages. The NIPSG targets this species using only three pelagic trawlers, with fishing taking place mainly during the hours of darkness. These boats, Voyager, Stephanie M and Havilah, are all over 49m long and equipped with state of the art technology allowing the fishery to be very precise with species it catches. This means the fishery has little or no bycatch, thanks to the use of sonar, net and catch monitors, and has no contact with the seabed.
The fishery operates seasonally - this year is due to start mid-August - with the total catch at just over 5,200 tonnes of herring. The key markets for supply are Germany and Poland, with small quantities retained in the UK where they are smoked to produce kippers.
NIPSG represents the pelagic members of the Anglo-North Irish Fish Producers Organisation (ANIFPO) and the Northern Ireland Fish Producers Organisation (NIFPO), as well as pelagic fish processors in Northern Ireland, namely C&O Milligan, S&P Milligan and Kilkeel Kippering Company.
Alan McCulla OBE, Chief Executive Officer for ANIFPO, who also acts as Secretary to the NIPSG said: "We are delighted to have gained this certification, which helps secure existing markets for Irish Sea herring and has the potential to create new opportunities. Indeed this good news should provide a boost to all our fishermen in the Irish Sea, who have made tremendous sacrifices in terms of achieving sustainable fisheries. We are indebted to all those involved with this process, including the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in Northern Ireland who provided funding through the European Fisheries Fund."
