Faroese trawler Gadus has been certified by Global Seafood Assurances in accordance with The Responsible Fishing Vessel Standard. Gadus is the first Faroese fishing vessel to be recognised and one of the world’s first ten certified vessels.
‘Such certification enables us to provide our customers with independent assurance that we, as their supplier, engage, employ, pay, and treat all our crew equally, fairly, and, additionally, that they are trained in safety,’ said Hanus Hansen, CEO of Klaksvík fishing company JFK.
The Responsible Fishing Vessel Standard (RFVS) assures that human rights are not violated in the seafood supply chain and that fishing crews are treated fairly, properly trained and work in safe conditions where payment, meals and rest time are supplied.
The RFVS is a vessel-based optional certification standard. Through independent, third-party auditing, it enables commercial fishing enterprises to provide assurance of decent working conditions and operational best practice.
‘The RFVS certification process is for us a good way forward, not just to tick the boxes of what we are doing right, but also to bring ourselves in line with internationally-accepted best crewing practices,’ Hanus Hansen said, commenting that there are advantages to this certification.
‘The most obvious advantage is in the marketplace with customers and consumers. More importantly, all of us at JFK can hold our heads high and confidently say that we are doing the right thing, safely and fairly.’
Non-profit organisation Global Seafood Assurances (GSA) aims to provide complete, trustworthy seafood supply chain assurances, while also resolving certification gaps. Third-party certification programmes provide those assurances, ensuring that companies’ seafood meets stringent environmental, social, and food safety criteria.
‘It’s fantastic to see such significant industry suppliers working to the highest worldwide standards, ensuring that we can enjoy fish and chips for another 160 years and beyond,’ said Andrew Crook, President of the UK National Federation of Fish Friers.
