Responsible management and rebounding stocks earn Swedish Eastern Baltic cod fishery MSC ecolabel
A cod fishery that was close to collapse only a few years ago has recovered and was today certified as a sustainable and well-managed fishery. The Fiskbranschens Sweden Eastern Baltic cod fishery has earned Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification following an independent rigorous assessment against the MSC standard. Eastern Baltic cod from this fishery will now be eligible to bear the blue MSC ecolabel, which assures consumers that the product is traceable to a sustainable fishery.
About the Fiskbranschens Sweden Eastern Baltic cod fishery
The fishermen catch cod for ten months of the year (with a regulated fishing stop between July and August) in the Baltic Sea east of Bornholm, using demersal trawls, fish traps and long lines. The main landing ports for the fishery are Karlskrona and Simrishamn on the southeast coast of Sweden, both towns with a long tradition of commercial fishing. Once landed, the cod is either sold fresh to local markets or processed for export.
Plenty of fish in the sea…
The Eastern Baltic cod stock was considered close to a total collapse just a few years ago. It has made a remarkable recovery due to good management and excellent recruitment and in early January 2010 the Fiskbranschens Riksförbund (FR) entered this cod fishery into full assessment.
Yngve Björkman, Chair of Fiskbranschens Riksförbund says “I am extremely pleased that Swedish consumers are now able to buy Swedish MSC certified cod from the eastern Baltic Sea. It is equally important to us to have reclaimed Swedish consumer confidence, as it is to have access to overseas markets through being able to export Baltic cod carrying the internationally known MSC ecolabel”.
“There are plenty of fish in the sea,” he continues, “and I trust that more Swedish fishermen will join this path of sustainability.”
“The MSC congratulates the first Swedish fishery in the Baltic Sea to obtain MSC certification,” says Minna Epps MSC Manager Baltic. “There is high demand for MSC certified Baltic cod in Sweden and abroad. This certification not only reaffirms that the stock has recovered but also assures Swedish consumers that MSC-certified Baltic cod is sustainable for the longer term.”
About Fiskbranschens Riksförbund
Fiskbranschens Riksförbund (FR – Federation of Swedish Fish Industries and Trade) is an umbrella organisation for trade and industry within the Swedish fishing industry. The main task of the FR is to promote positive development within the industry and to represent its members’ interests. Sales of the FR members account for more than 5 billion SEK annually.
