Blue whiting again certified after the failure of coastal states to reach agreement on its management had resulted in its IFFO RS certification being suspended. Now that a management plan and TAC are in place for 2017, the IFFO Responsible Sourcing (RS) certification has been reinstated.
‘Seafood Norway is very pleased that blue whiting again certified. It means the production of the main raw material of fishmeal and fish oil industry can be sold in all markets. It gives manufacturers flexibility in the choice of the market, providing a reasonable provision for fishmeal and fish oil,’ said Kyrre Dale of Seafood Norway.
IFFO RS is a global standard and a certification program (Responsible Sourcing) developed by IFFO, the international trade organisation for fishmeal and fish oil producers.
The IFFO RS certification had been suspended last summer when the EU, Norway, Faroe Islands, Iceland and Russia were not able to reach agreement on the management and allocation of blue whiting. As a result of lack of agreement between the coastal states, total catches of blue whiting have exceeded scientific recommendations in recent years.
The coastal states have now agreed on a management plan for blue whiting and TAC for fishing in 2017 that is in line with scientific recommendations. The coastal states have yet to agree between themselves on the distribution of the TAC.
‘Sustainable management of blue whiting is a prerequisite for us to have access to the best paying markets for fishmeal and fish oil in the future. Emphasis must be placed on the value of the fish being taken from the sea. We can not unilaterally focus on the quantity of blue whiting,‘ Kyrre Dale said, adding that Seafood Norway representing the Norwegian fishmeal and fish oil industry has worked actively to get blue whiting recertified before the fishing season starts in late February.
‘We have worked actively to establish certification and it has gone faster than we had expected. This certification benefits Norwegian fishermen and Norwegian producers,’ said Kyrre Dale.
