The Burry Inlet cockles and South West mackerel handline fisheries have separately announced they are seeking re-assessment under the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) eco-label programme for sustainable and well-managed fisheries.
If successful, both fisheries will be licensed to continue using the MSC eco-label on seafood products. UK retailers Tesco, Waitrose and Duchy Selections already offer MSC-certified seafood from these fisheries.
Both fisheries were awarded MSC certification in 2001 for an initial five years. Since then, annual surveillance visits by independent certification bodies have ensured that the MSC Principles and Criteria are upheld. The fisheries have now applied to renew their certificates for a further five years and the certification bodies will assess if they still meet the MSC’s strict environmental standards.
The re-assessment process requires continuous improvement to fishery management, guaranteeing that MSC-labelled products remain the best environmental choice in seafood.”
The MSC is an independent non-profit organisation set up to promote solutions to the problem of overfishing. It has developed the world’s only independent andinternational fishery certification programme and eco-label.
