The western component of the North East Atlantic mackerel fishery managed by the Irish Pelagic Sustainability Association (IPSA) has entered full assessment with a view towards certification under the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) standard for sustainable and well-managed fisheries. IPSA represented polyvalent vessels have a total annual catch of approximately 6500 tones. If successful, a total of 13% of the 49,643 tonne total Irish mackerel quota will be eligible to carry the MSC logo within the polyvalent segment of the Irish fleet.
The mackerel is caught by a fleet of 17 polyvalent Irish owned and operated vessels, by either single or pair pelagic trawling. Fishing takes place in the North Sea and Atlantic from Ireland down to the Bay of Biscay. The majority of the mackerel is exported – frozen – with larger fish being sent to Russia and Japan and medium and smaller fish to Russia, Japan, the EU, Egypt and West Africa.
Gavin Power, Interim Secretary of IPSA, comments: “Demonstrating to our buyers that we are operating sustainably is becoming increasingly important. This is why we have decided to go for the most robust and credible standard in the industry. For us, MSC certification is the best way to show seafood buyers and consumers how seriously we take the future of both fish stocks and fishing.”
Rupert Howes, Chief Executive of the Marine Stewardship Council says: “I am delighted that the Irish Pelagic Sustainability Association mackerel fishery has come forward into full assessment. There is growing demand for independently certified sustainable mackerel around the world and the IPSA’s entry into full assessment brings the total number of mackerel fisheries now engaged at some stage in the assessment process to seven. This is a significant level of engagement for this important species which is good news for the environment, the fishers whose livelihoods depend upon the continued good health of the fishery and consumers. I wish the Irish Pelagic Sustainability Association success with their application and look forward to receiving the assessment report and final determination from their independent certifier.”
