According to the press communiqué the herring, sprat and sardine fisheries join a growing number of northern Europe pelagic fisheries seeking MSC certification and, if successful, the sprat fishery will be the first certified sprat fishery. The Celtic Sea is an area of the north east Atlantic Ocean extending from the Irish south coast to Brest in northern France. It runs from the western end of the English and Bristol Channels to the edge of the continental shelf.
After the collapse of herring stock in 1990’s the fishery is on recovery plan. Following the introduction of spawning area closures, a ban on roe fishing and severe quota restrictions, the Celtic Sea herring stock is expected to have reached full recovery by 2012.
The CSHMAC represents 42 vessels using pelagic pair trawls and ranging from 9 – 35 metres long. The CSHMAC vessel group catches 90 per cent of Ireland’s quotas for the species with total landings in 2010 around 7,900MT. Most of the landings go to markets in Germany, Poland, Lithuania and Russia with products that include frozen fillets, dressed herring, whole frozen herring, pickled fillets and ‘roll mops’.
Gavin Power of the Irish South & West Fish Producers Organisation and Chairman of the CSHMAC, said that the committee is delighted to announce the entry of these fisheries into the MSC assessment process. He added that the growing recognition of MSC certification for sustainably managed fisheries means that our herring, sprat and sardine fisheries will be best placed in future years, providing assurance to customers and consumers on the highest standards of sustainable fishing practices.
Toby Middleton, Country Manager for the MSC said that Ireland is fast becoming one of the leading nations in certified sustainable fisheries. The MSC programme is designed to recognise and reward sustainable fishing practices. The assessment will be carried out by independent certifier Food Certification International.
