MSC certification for cod and haddock caught within Norway’s 12 nautical mile zone has been reinstated, following a process which The Norwegian Fishermen’s Association has headed in collaboration with the sales teams and the Norwegian Seafood Council as project partners.
DNV is the responsible certification body and its final report has now been out for 15 working days with opportunities for possible objections from stakeholders. The Norwegian Fishermen’s Association has since received confirmation from DNV that no such objections have been received, and that the certification process has therefore been completed. As a result, cod and haddock caught within 12 nautical miles of the coast from 62°N are again MSC certified.
‘We are pleased that this certification has been completed and that cod and haddock caught within 12 nautical miles north of 62°N are again certified. We are particularly relieved to achieved this before the winter season starts,’ said senior adviser Tor Bjørklund Larsen, who works with MSC on behalf of Norwegian fishermen.
‘If Norwegian cod cannot be MSC certified, which cod can be certified?’ asked Morten Hyldborg Jensen, CEO of the Nordic Group, which is part of the Insula group, commenting that he is highly satisfied with the work done by Fiskarlaget and DNV – and that a number of customers are now waiting to receive this news.
‘For a fillet producer like us, the loss of MSC approval immediately led to a loss of important markets,’ he said.
High value markets such as Sweden, Germany and the UK were closed to a number of cod and haddock products when Norway lost its MSC approval.
‘MSC certification ensures that Norwegian whitefish can be sold to all markets without trade barriers,’ Morten Hyldborg Jensen said.
‘Norwegian whitefish has a strong position in a number of markets. The MSC brand is a door opener. Now I am looking forward to communicating this news to our customers. This is a special day for all of us who work with seafood.’
