A collaboration of fisheries from Denmark, Sweden, Germany and the Netherlands have met the requirements for sustainable fishing set by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC).
The Joint Demersal Fisheries manages a marine area in the North Sea and adjacent waters almost the combined size of the four participating countries.
Hans Nieuwenhuis, MSC director for Northern Europe, said, “After a rigorous assessment process, with contributions from NGOs, peer reviewers and scientists, the Joint Demersal Fisheries is MSC certified.
“This is an achievement for the fishers that have worked hard to improve their fishing practices in a collaborative approach to ensure consistency and coordination in stock and ecosystem management.”
A wide range of stocks, species and gear types were assessed together against the MSC Fisheries Standard. Formerly certified under ten individual MSC certificates, this single MSC certificate includes 15 separate stocks of 12 species, ten gear types and three catch areas in the North Sea, Skagerrak and Kattegat covering 961 vessels at time of certification.
The assessment process, carried out by independent conformity assessment body, Control Union Pesca, lasted more than two years and included reviews by independent scientists, stakeholder consultations and analyses of stock assessments, habitats and the ecosystem, as well as the effectiveness of regulations and fisheries management.
