The Scottish Pelagic Sustainability Group’s (SPSG) North Sea herring fishery has been recertified by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), making the herring fishery the only Scottish fishery currently recertified under the programme.
North Sea herring was the first SPSG fishery to be certified in 2008 under the MSC Environmental Standard for Sustainable Fishing and three more have followed since.
John Goodlad, Chairman of SPSG, said: “This recertification today is an important milestone for the North Sea herring fishery and is a clear demonstration of SPSG’s sustainability credentials and investment in the MSC programme.”
The SPSG fleet will sustainably catch 44,000 tonnes of North Sea herring this year in a fishery that is shared with several North Sea European countries. The herring caught is processed in Scotland to produce a range of high quality products, including fresh fish fillets, marinades and kippers. Much of it is exported to prime markets all over Europe.
Rupert Howes, CEO of the MSC said: “The SPSG have been pioneers in sustainable fishing since they first entered this fishery for assessment in 2007 and this is a pivotal moment for Scottish herring fishing. Through the SPSG’s commitment, the fishery has made some significant improvements, with corresponding improvements in their assessment scores. Their support for new research and a stock rebuilding programme, for example, have delivered a herring stock that is healthy and well above target levels.”
Only recently the sustainability of the North Sea herring fishery was highlighted by the latest scientific advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), which confirmed that the stock continues to be harvested in a responsible way with fishing pressure below the recommended level.
