Danish hake, haddock and North Sea sole fisheries enter the MSC program
The Danish Fishermen's Producers' Organisation (DFPO) has entered the Danish hake, haddock and North Sea sole fisheries for formal assessment against the Marine Stewardship Council's (MSC) standard for sustainable and well-managed fisheries, reports www.megafishnet.com with reference to MSC.
This decision is part of the DFPO's ambitious plan, developed two years ago, to secure MSC certification for all Danish fisheries. The three fisheries entering assessment today join the Danish cod and plaice fisheries which are expected to complete formal assessment soon. If the fisheries are successful in securing certification, products sourced from those fisheries will be eligible to use the blue MSC ecolabel.
What the fishery says
"Based on our experience to date, we can safely say that the MSC ecolabel is hard-earned. But we remain equally committed to our ambition of making all our fisheries live up to the MSC standard. The hake, haddock and sole from our fisheries are top quality fresh products, bought by the most demanding consumers in Europe. They deserve the proof of sustainability that the MSC label delivers" says Chairman of the DFPO, Kurt Madsen.
About the DFPO
The DFPO represents around 1100 commercial fishing vessels from ports all over Denmark. The primary goal of the DFPO is to secure the right balance between supply and demand for the seafood, its member's land, through ensuring and improving the quality, availability and market conditions of the products. For more information on the DFPO and its concerted sustainability effort, see www.msc-fiskere.dk
About the certifier
The three fisheries will be scrutinized over the next year by independent experts from accredited third-party certifier, Food Certification International. The MSC assessment process also requires active consultation and engagement with stakeholders. Anyone who wishes to be involved in the fishery assessment as a stakeholder should contact Melissa McFadden at Food Certification International on : +44 (0) 1463 246 388 or melissa.mcfadden@foodcertint.com