A pair of companies based on the US east coast have been awarded MSC certification for their squid fishery.
Seafreeze Limited and Sea Fresh USA both have vessels fishing for longfin squid (Doryteuthis (Amerigo) pealeii), also known as loligo, and Northern shortfin squid (Illex illecebrosus) and certification was awarded following a 10-month assessment.
The fishery remains certified to 2025, with annual audits carried out to ensure that MSC criteria are met.
‘MSC certification of longfin and illex squid from the NW Atlantic is something that customers here in the US and overseas have been eager to see in our New England fishery for some time. We are excited to be able to offer MSC certified squid of both species to existing and future customers,’ said Sea Fresh USA’s director Chris Lee.
‘Adding the MSC certification confirms, for customers near and far, that they are purchasing from a sustainably harvested resource. As demands on the world’s natural resources intensify, it is important for our customer base to understand what we already knew, that these fisheries are sustainable, well managed US Fisheries.’
The bulk of US illex squid products have historically been sold as bait for other fisheries such as crab, cod and swordfish. In more recent years, illex has been produced for food service and distributed around the US, Europe, and Asia, while longfin squid has predominantly been supplied to the domestic US food service market.
‘Earning MSC certification for our Atlantic squid harvests is an important milestone for Seafreeze. We have always been committed to providing the highest quality, most responsibly harvested squid available to our customers,’ commented Chris Joy of Seafreeze Limited.
‘This certification is a result of that focus on quality and will be a great benefit for our customers worldwide. The certification of our US Atlantic squid, along with the global reach in squid of our parent company, Profand, and US partner Stavis Seafoods, allows us to offer our customers one of the industry’s most diverse squid inventories. Our goal is to be the industry leader in the species, and the MSC certification is a great step in that direction.’
