The Danish blue-shell mussel fishery of Limfjord will be assessed against the MSC (Marine Stewardship Council) standard for sustainable fishing. If successful, it will be the first source of MSC-labelled mussels to reach the global seafood market.
The fishery is represented by the Danish seafood and fishing company Vilsund Muslinge Industri. It comprises 20 vessels operating in Limfjord, a sea fjord in Jutland which is well known for producing high quality mussels and oysters. Altogether, the fishery produces approximately 100,000 tonnes of mussels annually, with the 20 vessels seeking MSC certification representing 40% of the production.
Post-harvest, the mussels (mytilus edulis) are cleaned, cooked and frozen in local processing plants and are then shipped to markets in Europe, Russia and the Middle East. The majority of the product is sold as Individually Quick Frozen (IQF) mussel meat.
Appointing Moody Marine Ltd as the independent certifier, Soren Mattesen, CEO of Vilsund Muslinge Industri, commented: “The sustainability of the mussel fishery has been of the highest priority in Denmark for many years. By getting MSC certification for the fishery of Limfjord mussels, we want to demonstrate this to our customers.”
The MSC’s Deputy Chief Executive, Chris Ninnes, welcomed the announcement, commenting: “This is the first Danish fishery and the first mussel fishery to enter the MSC programme. We are delighted that the mussel catchers in Limfjord see how the MSC can add value to their product and have decided to enter full assessment today.”
