North Sea cod stocks are recovering so well that Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) accreditation is within reach, with a campaign backed by Icelandic Seachill, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s pushing to get the stock accredited by 2017.
Icelandic Seachill said at this week’s World Seafood Congress in Grimsby there was now enough confidence in the recovery of stocks for the fishery to be assessed for MSC certification for sustainability, meaning North Sea cod could carry the MSC label for the first time.
An MSC assessment of the fishery will take place early next year, funded by a partnership of fishermen’s organisations, processors and retailers, including Icelandic Seachill, the Scottish Fisheries Sustainable Accreditation Group (SFSAG), Marks & Spencer, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s. The National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations (NFFO) and Young’s Seafood are supporting the assessment in kind.
“The status of North Sea cod is a barometer used frequently by the media to represent the sustainability of fish in general,” said Nigel Edwards, technical and CSR director of Icelandic Seachill.
“This certification, if successful, will underline the incredible recovery of cod following the successful MSC certification of the Icelandic cod and Barents Sea cod that supply our nation’s huge appetite for this delicious fish.”
Scottish fishermen had contributed significantly to the return of cod in the North Sea, added SFAG chairman Mike Park. “Their selfless actions to protect known abundances and spawning aggregations of cod have played a very significant part in delivering us to this point where we now view MSC certification as the logical next step,” he said. “Maintaining healthy seas and sustainable stocks remains a top priority for our fishermen who are committed to laying the foundations for future generations.”
Meanwhile, Young’s Seafood CEO Peter Ward said the potential recovery of the fishery was a “symbolic achievement” for the UK seafood sector. “It is many years since cod from the North Sea has played an important role in feeding our nation and we look forward to its return to our plates very soon as an independently certified sustainable option.”
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