Queen scallops seek MSC certification

Published:  06 June, 2008

Rupert Howes

THE Faroe Islands queen scallop fishery has entered full assessment under the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) standard for sustainable and well-managed fisheries.

If it is successful, scallops from the fishery will be allowed to display the MSC eco-label.

The Faroe Islands queen scallop fishery is fished by one vessel - the M/V Nordheim owned by the OC Joensen Company.

The fishery catches a total around 5,000 tonnes of scallops each year from two separate stocks to the north and east of the Faroe Islands respectively.

The eastern fishery operates from August to February to avoid the July spawning season and northern fishery only fishes from March to August.

“Apart from offering a good product, which is a wild, slow-growing, cold water queen scallop, we believe that our scallops are also caught in a sustainable and controlled way, both with regards to the species itself and considering the environment in which it lives.

"However, this must be communicated to the customers and to the end users of the product in a proper way so they have an opportunity to consider the sustainability when they choose which product to buy or use.

"We think the best option is the MSC logo, which is widely recognised and can be seen very clearly on the finished product.”

Rupert Howes, chief executive of the MSC says: “I am delighted to welcome the Faroe Islands queen scallop fishery into full assessment.

" The Faroe Islands queen scallop fishery is the second Atlantic scallop fishery to enter full assessment. The Patagonian scallop fishery entered assessment in January 2005 and was certified in December 2006. I am sure that retailers and the increasing number of restaurants certified for MSC Chain of Custody will be very interested in this fishery’s progress through the assessment process.

"I hope this will be the first Faroe Islands fishery of many to apply for MSC certification.”

www.fishupdate.com is published by Special Publications. Special Publications also publish FISHupdate magazine, Fish Farmer, the Fish Industry Yearbook, the Scottish Seafood Processors Federation Diary, the Fish Farmer Handbook and a range of wallplanners.

Umseting:

Jákupsskel Strembar Eftir MSC Krúnu

James Simpson. - email: redaktion@dimma.fo   
Mánadagur 9. juni 2008, kl. 08.32
108/131 - Tíðindaskriv

London – Tann føroyski skeljafiskiskapurin verður nú fult mettur av Marine Stewardship Council eftir standardinum fyri burðardyggar og væl umsitnar fiskiskapir. Um metingin verður væl eydnað, fáa skeljarnar loyvi at bera MSC eyðkennismerkið.
Føroyska jákupsskelin verður fiskað av m/s Norðheim, sum O.C. Joensen eigur. Árliga veiðan liggur um 5000 tons av skeljum úr tveimum ymsum stovnum, ávíkavist eystanfyri og norðanfyri Føroyar. Veiðan eystanfyri fer fram frá august til februar. Í gýtingartíðini í juli er eingin veiða eystanfyri. Norðanfyri er veiðitíðin frá mars til august.
“Umframt at bjóða eina góða vøru, sum er ein vill, seint-vaksandi kaltvatns jákupsskel, so meta vit eisini, at skelin er veidd undir eftirliti og á burðardyggan hátt, bæði viðvíkjandi sjálvari skelini og viðvíkjandi umhvørvinum hon livir í. Hettar má tó upplýsast kundunum og brúkarunum á skynsaman hátt, soleiðis at teir kunnu hava burðardygdina við í metingini, tá ið teir taka støðu til, hvørja vøru teir skulu keypa ella brúka. Vit halda, at besti møguleikin er MSC eyðkennismerkið, ið er viðurkent og týðuliga sæst á liðugtvøruni.
Rupert Howes, Stjóri á Marine Stewardship Council, sigur: “Tað gleðir meg at bjóða føroyska skeljafiskiskapinum vælkomnum inn undir fulla meting. Hettar er tann fyrsti fiskiskapurin eftir atlantsskel, sum er komin undir fulla meting, og eg eri vísur í, at handilsmenn og alsamt fleiri matstovur, sum hava fingið MSC góðgenning, vilja fylgja hesum fiskiskapi við stórum áhuga, nú hann er í góðkenningartilgongdini. Eg vóni, at hesin verður tann fyrsti av mongum fiskiskapum í Føroyum, sum fara at søkja um MSC góðkenning".

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