Faroes refused mackerel MSC

An application by the Faroe Islands seeking the MSC sustainability certification for their mackerel fishery has failed following an objection lodged by the Scottish government.

Scottish fisheries secretary Richard Lochhead said: “We are pleased that our objection has been upheld, as it is clear that the Faroes is in breach of the criteria to be considered a sustainably sourced fishery.

“This sends a strong signal to the Faroes that pursuing irresponsible fishing practices and grabbing an inflated share of the mackerel stock is unsustainable and no way to manage international fish stocks.

“The MSC has a valuable role to play in informing consumers and producers about sustainably sourced fish. Indeed, Scottish mackerel was the first large scale European fishery to achieve this sought after seal of approval, while our North Sea haddock is also now MSC-approved.”

All this of course begs the question as to whether certification is now going to determined by politicians and political goals rather than anything to do with the state of stocks.

Category: Commercial