The press communiqué of the Pelagic Freezer-Trawler Association (PFA) North Sea herring fishery states that with the start of the 2011 season the fishery got re-certification against the MSC standard for sustainable fisheries. As the herring sourced from the fishery therefore remains eligible to bear the MSC ecolabel. The MSC certificate for the PFA was issued by Moody Marine Ltd. and is valid for five years subject to surveillance audits.
In 2006 the PFA North Sea herring fishery was first certified and become the first large European fishery to engage with the MSC programme. The PFA is still committed to improvement and has voluntarily implemented various policies to promote sustainable fishing in its fleet, for example, implementing new technologies such as sophisticated sonar to further reduce bycatch.
The catch of this fishery is about 70,000mt of herring per year and its 25 freezer-trawlers operate under the Dutch, French, German, UK and Lithuanian flags. During the herring season usually between 8 and 10 of these ships catch North Sea Herring. The fleet uses pelagic trawl nets to fish the North Sea and Eastern English Channel herring stock. Gerard van Balsfoort, PFA-president is pleased to see the sustainability of the North Sea herring fishery re-affirmed.
He said that the development of this fishery over these years was amazing. He also added that North Sea herring experienced low recruitment rates, due to natural fluctuations, to which the management response was a radical reduction of the quota for a couple of years.
