According to the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) its Board of Trustees has elected Norwegian, Knut Vartdal to a new seat on the MSC board. It is told that Vartdal brings extensive experience and expertise of the Norwegian fishing industry to the MSC board. Vartdal has worked for 9 years as undersecretary of state in the Ministry of Fisheries and Director General of Fisheries and has spent nearly three decades’ as Managing Director of Vartdal Fiskeriselskap – one of the leading fishing vessel companies in Norway. As of October this year, Vartdal chairs the Board of Directors of Vartdal Seafood AS.
Will Martin, Chairman of the board, express that Knut Vartdal brings to the MSC extensive backgrounds in both the governmental management of fisheries and the business of commercial fishing and seafood marketing. He told that Norway is rapidly becoming a significant player in the MSC certification programme, and we appreciate its strong tradition and ethic of sustainable management of ocean resources, as reflected in Knut’s background.
Knut Vartdal said that he is pleased to have joined the MSC. He states that the MSC is becoming increasingly influential in more countries around the world and has gained much importance in Norway recently. Globally, there is little doubt it is the leading certification organization for wild capture fish. He opined that the certification of ‘Norwegian’ saithe has been of great importance for the Norwegian industry, and I now look forward to future certifications in Norway – particularly cod and haddock.
According to Rupert Howes, CEO MSC, Knut is a long-standing member of MSC’s Stakeholder Council with a long and distinguished career in the seafood business. He said that Vartdal’s experience will expand widely.
