Gerard van Balsfoort, president of PFA says: “The certification of our previous fisheries gave us a competitive edge in the market. It is logical that we seek certification for another of our fisheries.”
The PFA Atlanto Scandian herring fisheries comprises 26 freezer-trawlers owned by ten companies from six EU-countries. The vessels catch Atlanto Scandian herring using pelagic midwater trawls and have an allocated catch for 2009 of approximately 41,000 metric tonnes of Atlanto Scandian herring. This is approximately 2.5% of the 2009 Total Allowable Catch (TAC) set for this fishery and 39% of the European Union’s share in this TAC.
Camiel Derichs, Manager Northern Europe of the MSC says: “The certification of the PFA herring fishery in 2006 really triggered the certification of the North Sea pelagic fisheries [2]. I am happy to see that sustainability is becoming firmly embedded in Northern Europe’s pelagic fisheries. I wish the PFA a successful assessment of their Atlanto Scandian herring fishery against MSC standards”.
The assessment will be carried out by independent certifier Moody Marine Ltd.
