Norwegian snow crab is now MSC certified following an audit by Global Trust Certification to assess the fishery against MSC criteria relating to stock situation, ecosystem impact and management practices.
The client is the Norwegian Fishermen’s Association, which implemented the project in collaboration with sales organisations and the Norwegian Seafood Council.
This is exclusively a trap fishery, and around 10,000 tonnes of MSC-certified Norwegian snow crab will now be available for domestic and export markets.
‘This is Norway’s first MSC-certified crab fishery,’ said MSC North Atlantic programme director Gísli Gíslason
‘The most important export markets for snow crab are the USA and Asia. In these marketswhere there is an ever-increasing demand for sustainable seafood, MSC certification of the Norwegian snow crab will hopefully contribute to even better market access. We congratulate the Fishermen’s Association and the entire Norwegian fishing and seafood industry.’
‘MSC certifications take a long time, but these are also very thorough processes. It is great to now be able to add snow crab to the Norwegian MSC-certified fisheries,’ said Tor Bjørklund Larsen at the Norwegian Fishermen’s Association, a senior adviser working on certification on behalf of all the concerned Norwegian organisations.
The news has also been welcomed in Japan.
‘I would like to congratulate the fisheries, the governing bodies, and all the stakeholders who have been involved in this certification process for their efforts and commitment to sustainability,’ said MSC Program Director for Japan Kozo Ishii.
‘Snow crab is one of the most popular varieties of seafood in Japan, and Norway is one of the largest suppliers of snow crab to Japan. As the demand for MSC certified seafood is increasing in Japan, I believe that this achievement will generate a lot of interest.’
