The location of this fishery is within Canadian Shrimp Fishing Areas 5, 6 and 7 of the Northwest Atlantic Ocean – off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador from the Hopedale Channel to areas southeast of Newfoundland. The fishery is said to be assessed by an independent certifier against the MSC standard for sustainable fishing.
Northern shrimp is a significant commercial species in the Northwest Atlantic and is caught by independent inshore fishing vessels using trawl gear. The client for this assessment, the Fogo Island Co-operative Society Limited, seeks to hold its own MSC certificate for shrimp processed at its plant in the community of Seldom.
The main market of this fishery is Europe where 90 percent sold out and 10 percent sold to the United States. This year through mid-September 2010 overall landings for all vessels fishing in Shrimp Fishing Areas 5, 6, and 7 totaled 58,131 metric tons. Phil Barnes, speaking for the Fogo Island Co-operative said that fisheries have sustained Fogo Island and our independent way of life for generations.
He told that MSC ecolabel will help us tell the unique story of Fogo Island’s commitment to sustainable seafood harvesting practices to the world. Kerry Coughlin, the Americas regional director for the MSC, informed that shrimp is an important commodity in the global seafood marketplace and there is growing demand for shrimp products certified to the MSC standard.
