The Norwegian Seafood Export Council (NSEC) has now gained MSC certification for all Norwegian North East Arctic cod and haddock fisheries. With the successful completion of their MSC assessments, in 2012 an expected total of 340,000MT of Norwegian cod and 153,000MT of Norwegian haddock will be eligible to use the MSC Eco-label.
The North East Arctic cod and haddock MSC certification includes the fisheries that take place in the Norwegian Exclusive Economic Zone (ICES areas I and II), from mid-Norway and northwards along the coast and into the Barents Sea. A variety of gear types are within the scope of the certification, including trawl, longlines, handlines, gill nets, jigging and Danish seines. The catch is sold worldwide with saltfish, clipfish and stockfish on sale in southern Europe and Latin America, while fillets, fresh and frozen fish are mostly sold in northern European markets.
What the NSEC says
Karin Olsen, marketing manager, whitefish, NSEC says: “Norway has a long tradition for managing its fisheries in harmony with nature, and is internationally regarded as one of the world’s leaders in sustainable fisheries management. This is a story we are proud to tell and the MSC certification of all the Norwegian North east arctic cod and haddock fisheries will strengthen this message. Third party verification of the sustainability of seafood from Norway is a great way to ensure even more credibility in the market place for Norwegian suppliers. The fishing industry is the backbone of coastal Norway and is of vital importance to settlement and employment. Norway is therefore committed to sustainable fisheries, and we will continue to work hard to ensure that future generations will have the opportunity of enjoying Norwegian cod and haddock.”
What the MSC says
Camiel Derichs, Deputy Director Europe (MSC) says: “This is a milestone for the MSC program, and a fantastic result for the collective Norwegian seafood industry. Norwegian cod and haddock fisheries are among the most important whitefish fisheries in the world, from a market as well as from a historical perspective. When the MSC was approached by the Norwegian seafood industry 6 years ago, and learned that they aspired to secure MSC certification for their North East Arctic cod and haddock fisheries, all stakeholders involved knew this wouldn’t be a simple process. I’d like to congratulate and thank all stakeholders that have been involved in this process; MSC looks forward to supporting the Norwegian cod and haddock fisheries in the years to come.”
Fisheries challenges and achievements
The fishery had to meet certain challenges in order to attain the MSC standard. While target cod and haddock stocks in the Barents Sea were at healthy population levels, and overall well-managed, a pre-assessment indicated areas where co-operation and changes to management would be required. Managing the impact of the fisheries on bycatch of coastal cod, a distinct cod population for which stock status was uncertain according to Norwegian scientists, was one such challenge. During the assessment process, and testament to the commitment of the Norwegian Seafood industry and fisheries management to manage fisheries for the future, a rebuilding plan for coastal cod was adopted. This rebuilding plan aims to reduce fishing pressure on the coastal cod stocks though gear regulations, adoption of a high minimum landing size, closed areas and so forth. With this rebuilding plan in place, MSC certification for the NEA cod and haddock fisheries became possible.
About the NSEC
The NSEC was created by the Ministry of Fisheries in 1991, and is a limited company, in which all of the shares are owned by the Ministry of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs. Norway exports seafood to around 150 different countries and NSEC is the world’s largest joint marketer of seafood. Every year, the NSEC carries out several hundred activities in more than 20 different markets, and its entire efforts are financed by the Norwegian seafood industry itself. NSEC’s activities include marketing and PR, market information, market access, information and crisis contingency. The NSEC has about 50 employees, divided between its headquarters in Tromsø, and representatives in China, Japan, Singapore, Russia, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Brazil, USA and Sweden.
