Br.Ant.Territory : SOUTH GEORGIA ICEFISH FISHERY SEEKS MSC CERTIFICATION
Submitted by (Juanita Brock) 25.01.2008 (Article Archived on 08.02.2008)
A South Georgia fishery has become the 50th fishery currently undergoing public full assessment under the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) [1] standard for sustainable and well-managed fisheries.
SOUTH GEORGIA ICEFISH FISHERY SEEKS MSC CERTIFICATION
London, 24th January 2008 – A South Georgia fishery has become the 50th fishery currently undergoing public full assessment under the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) [1] standard for sustainable and well-managed fisheries [2]. The South Georgia icefish trawl fishery, managed by Seaview Ltd, is seeking certification that, if successful, will allow its catch to bear the MSC’s widely recognized ecolabel indicating sustainable, environmentally responsible fishing practices.
The South Georgia icefish (Champsocephalus gunnari) fishery is a pelagic trawl fishery that catches up to 2,000 tons per year and is primarily exported to markets in Eastern Europe. Icefish has a subtle flavour with fine white flesh and a firm texture when cooked.
“MSC certification is vital to the success of this fishery – and the industry,” says Dick Sawle, Managing Director of Seaview Ltd [3] “We believe we have a great product with a lot of potential and having MSC certification will lead to improved markets. It’s a fascinating fish in that is caught in what are often extreme conditions, working in a hostile but pristine environment - as far south as you can get.”
Chris Ninnes, MSC Director of Operations, says “"I'm delighted that Seaview has decided to enter the South Georgia icefish fishery for full assessment. As the 50th fishery concurrently in full assessment, this is a great vote of confidence in the MSC certification programme. This is the second South Georgia fishery seeking certification to the MSC standard [2] and I hope it will lead the way for other fisheries in the area. Markets are increasingly demanding rigorous third-party assurance of seafood sustainability, and we believe this decision will bring real and lasting benefits to the fishery.”
The assessment begins this month and is expected to take about a year to complete. It is being conducted by independent, certifier Moody Marine. [4]
[1] The MSC is an international non-profit organization that was set up in 1997 to promote solutions to the problem of overfishing. The MSC runs the only widely recognized environmental certification and eco-labelling program for wild capture fisheries. It is the only seafood eco-label that is consistent with the ISEAL Code of Good Practice for Setting Social and Environmental Standards and UN FAO guidelines for fisheries certification. The FAO ‘Guidelines for the Eco-labelling of Fish and Fishery Products from Marine Capture Fisheries’, require that credible fishery certification and eco-labelling schemes include:
- Objective, third-party fishery assessment utilizing scientific evidence;
- Transparent processes with built-in stakeholder consultation and objection procedures;
- Standards based on the sustainability of target species, ecosystems and management practices.
In total, over 80 fisheries are engaged in the MSC program with 26 certified, 50 under assessment and another 20 to 30 in confidential pre-assessment. Together the fisheries record annual catches of over 4 million tons of seafood. They represent 42 percent of the world’s wild salmon catch, 40 percent of the world’s prime whitefish catch, and 18 percent of the world’s lobster catches for human consumption. Worldwide, over 1,000 seafood products resulting from the certified fisheries bear the blue MSC eco-label. For more information, please visit http://www.msc.org/
[2] Details on the MSC environmental standard can be found at http://www.msc.org/html/content_504.htm
[3] Seaview Logistics Limited, a Falkland Islands registered company, was formed in 1990 by Falkland Islanders Dick and Judith Sawle. In partnership with Lafonia Sea Foods S.A of Spain and Seafish (Falklands) Limited, it fishes with three deep sea trawlers for Loligo squid in the Falkland Islands and icefish around South Georgia in the Antarctic. It also operates a logistical and service industry – Seaview Logistics Limited, which in turn owns and operates a cold storage facility in the Falklands and provides both management and a variety of support services to the fishing fleet in general. Further details on the company can be found on its website which it shares with its joint venture fishing companies Polar Limited and Nova Seafish Limited www.fis.com/polar
[4] Moody Marine is an accredited MSC Certifier that has carried out fifteen of the twenty-six fishery certifications completed to date. Moody Marine is accredited to undertake both Fishery and Chain of Custody assessments and has fishery certifiers based in UK, North America, Scandinavia and Australia, and Chain of Custody auditors around the globe. In operation since 1999, Moody Marine has fishery clients in eighteen countries over seven continents.
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