The Swedish Pelagic Producers Organisation (SPPO) North Sea herring fishery has been certified as sustainable under the Marine Stewardship Council standard for sustainable and well-managed fisheries. Products from this fishery will now be eligible to display the MSC ecolabel in the market place. Many North Sea herring fisheries have already obtained MSC certification and with the certification of this fishery, the whole Swedish quota for North Sea herring will now be caught and landed by MSC certified vessels.
The SPPO North Sea herring fishery comprises a total of twelve vessels operating as pair trawlers in the North Sea. Herring is an iconic fish in Sweden and members of the SPPO sell their catch to buyers in Sweden and fish auctions and processors across Northern Europe.
Other SPPO fisheries are also demonstrating their commitment to sustainability; SPPO Western Baltic herring and sprat and North East Atlantic mackerel are currently undergoing assessment against the MSC standard.
What the industry says
“Our clients are demanding MSC-certified herring”, says Peter Friis, Quality & Environmental Manager for Skagerak Pelagic A/S, “and we are happy that the SPPO North Sea herring was certified in time for the important season for producing of matjes herring for the Dutch market “.
What the SPPO says
Björn Lindblad from the SPPO says: “Our North Sea herring is now finally certified and we will continue our work towards getting our other pelagic fisheries certified. We are aiming for responsible, sustainable and conscientious fishing practices, a fact demonstrated by this MSC-certification of our herring fishery. We are very happy our sustainable fishing practices go hand in hand with market demands.
What the MSC says
Camiel Derichs, Manager for Northern Europe says:”I congratulate SPPO and all their members with the certification of their North Sea herring fishery, it’s a great confirmation of their sustainable practices and an important ‘first’ in the ambitious project of SPPO to obtain certification for a number of pelagic fisheries in the North Sea and in the Baltic. MSC certified North Sea herring is in high demand in The Netherlands, Germany and in Scandinavian markets and this achievement of SPPO will no doubt help to satisfy that demand. “
