Whitby Seafoods has announced a pioneering agreement between scampi fishermen to ensure sustainability lies at the heart of the UK’s scampi industry.
Fishermen in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland have agreed to adopt the Marine Stewardship Council’s new ‘In Transition to MSC’ programme.
The programme will allow the industry to work towards MSC accreditation, which is the most credible and established certification scheme possible, said Whitby.
Retailers, processors, and NGOs have come together to facilitate the agreement, and Whitby will continue to co-ordinate and fund its success.
The programme will use the latest version of the MSC framework to allow even greater transparency and accountability in documenting progress against this standard.
Whitby Seafoods’ commitment to sustainable fishing will be continued with a Northern Ireland initiative launching next month.
Throughout March, Whitby will be working with the Portavogie registered fishing boat, The Golden Ray, to trial the use of modified fishing nets to minimise bycatch.
“Whitby Seafoods’ commitment to the sustainability of UK scampi can be seen through these exciting new initiatives,” said MD Daniel Whittle. “We’re delighted to have played a leading role in helping the sector reach this vital and credible sustainability agreement.”
The company said it was “deeply committed to the sustainability of our waters, and we believe every family should continue to enjoy nutritious and sustainable seafood”.
Reports in October accused the industry of having a “chronic bycatch problem”, however, these claims were labelled as “misleading” by industry body Seafish who said issues were far more complex than portrayed.
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