Both the striped shrimp (Pandalus montagui) and northern shrimp (Pandalus borealis) fisheries capture the coldwater shrimp in otter trawls, primarily between 200 and 500 meters of depth. The fisheries under assessment operate in the northwestern Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, in offshore areas of the Canadian exclusive economic zone, from the Grand Banks of Newfoundland (Shrimp Fishing Area 7) to the far north adjacent to Baffin Island (Shrimp Fishing Area 1).
If the fisheries pass the assessment by meeting the MSC’s global standard for sustainable and well-managed fisheries, the Canadian Association of Prawn Producers (CAPP) and the Northern Coalition would be the holders of the MSC certificate. Shrimp products from all 17 offshore shrimp license holders in these fisheries then would be eligible to bear the MSC ecolabel as an indicator to seafood buyers around the world of the fisheries’ sustainability.
Moody Marine Ltd. has been contracted by the fisheries to conduct the third-party assessment, which is expected to take 12 to 14 months to complete.
Bruce Chapman, executive director for CAPP, said, “An increasing number of buyers who are important to the Canada offshore northern and striped shrimp fisheries are asking for MSC certification on seafood products, and we aim to meet that demand. We’re proud of our efforts to be a sustainable fishery.”
The offshore northern shrimp fishery includes three of the same areas—Shrimp Fishing Areas 5, 6 and 7—as the inshore Canada northern prawn fishery that became MSC-certified in August 2008. In addition, the offshore fishery is active in Canadian waters further to the north including Shrimp Fishing Areas 1 to 4, which also will be included in the assessment. The offshore northern shrimp fishery assessment includes only offshore vessels of 100 feet and larger and in 2008 total had access to approximately 85,000 metric tons of quota from the certified areas. This fishery focuses mainly on frozen-at-sea, raw and cooked shell-on products that are marketed primarily in Russia, Ukraine, China, Japan and Western Europe.
The offshore striped shrimp fishery had a combined 2008 TAC of 9,800 metric tons and is the main striped shrimp fishery in the area. The primary products from this fishery are frozen-at-sea, raw and cooked shell-on products, which are also marketed primarily in Russia, Ukraine, China, Japan and Western Europe.
Aboriginal groups hold 4.5 of the 17 offshore licenses and are actively involved in cooperative arrangements with fishing enterprises that, in total, directly employ more than 800 fishers and indirectly support shore-based operations employing more than 2,000 people in rural communities of Atlantic Canada and the north.
Brad Ack, Americas regional director for MSC, said, “With today’s enormous global demand for shrimp, it is great to see shrimp fisheries that strive to ensure the long-term viability of shrimp stocks, the health of their marine habitats and the livelihoods of shrimp fishermen. We commend the members of the Canada offshore northern and striped shrimp fisheries for engaging in the MSC’s third-party, scientific assessment process and pursuing certification under the leading global program for sustainable seafood.”
