The north East Atlantic mackerel fishery managed by Irish Pelagic RSW and Processors Sustainability Group – consisting of the Killybegs Fishermen’s Organisation, Irish Fish Producer Organisation and the Donegal Fish Merchants Association – has entered full assessment with a view towards certification under the Marine Stewardship Council standard for sustainable and well-managed fisheries. If successful, 86% of the 49,643 tonne Irish mackerel quota will be eligible to carry the MSC eco-label.
The mackerel is caught by a fleet of 23 Irish owned and operated large RSW (refrigerated seawater) pelagic mid-water trawl vessels and fishing takes place in the North sea, the north, west and south west of Ireland. All of the RSW vessels are members of the Killybegs Fishermen’s Organisation (KFO) or the Irish Fish Producers Organisation (IFPO). The majority of the mackerel is exported – frozen – with larger fish being sent to Russia and Japan and medium and smaller fish to Russia, Japan, the EU, Egypt and West Africa.
The Irish Pelagic RSW and Processors Sustainability Group said: “We are delighted that the full assessment process for North East Atlantic Mackerel fishery has started and we look forward to a fruitful conclusion.”
Rupert Howes, Chief Executive of the Marine Stewardship Council says: “I am delighted that the Irish Pelagic RSW and Processors Sustainability Group has decided to enter the MSC full assessment process for the mackerel fishery. This is the first Irish fishery to enter full assessment and I hope the Sustainability Group and the members they represent will reap the benefits of their pioneering work with a successful result to their assessment.”
The assessment will be carried out by independent certifier Food Certification International and is expected to take around 12 months.
