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First French fishery awarded MSC sustainability certification (18/03/2010)
First French fishery awarded MSC sustainability certification
Ce communiqué de presse est disponible en français.
EURONOR, the French saithe fishery [1], based in Boulogne-sur-Mer, has just been awarded the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) [2] certificate for sustainable and well-managed fisheries following a 13-month assessment. This is the first French fishery to achieve MSC certification and saithe (Pollachius virens) from the EURONOR fleet is now eligible to display the MSC eco-label.
A press event will be held at the MSC stand (6-853) at the European Seafood Exposition in Brussels on 28th of April to celebrate the certification.*
About the French saithe fishery
Five EURONOR fishing vessels target saithe in the North Sea, off Western Scotland, and in the Norwegian Sea. The fleet produces 16,000 metric tones of saithe annually. With fishing rights representing over 90% of the French quota for this species, it is the largest saithe fishing company in France and one of the largest in Europe. The fleet comprises three freezer vessels which process their catch into fillets at sea and two wet fish vessels which land fresh fish and sell them through auction.
What EURONOR says
Xavier Leduc, CEO of EURONOR, said: "Our experience over the past 13 months has been extremely positive and we are proud to be the first French fishery to achieve MSC certification. In the highly competitive markets in which we operate, the MSC ecolabel is a seal of approval for sustainable fishing and it also opens doors to new markets. Over the past months we have witnessed some notable developments in the fresh fish market and a growing interest from fish wholesalers. Many of them have already taken the necessary steps to get MSC Chain of Custody to ensure the traceability of our MSC-certified fish.”
Bruno Leduc, Deputy CEO of EURONOR, commented: "The MSC assessment process, which we entered voluntarily, has enabled us to make some improvements to our management systems to protect the environment, preserve fish stocks and secure the long-term future of our fishery. This is a thorough assessment process which requires an active commitment from the fishery. Its scientific robustness and transparency has enabled us to approach the assessment with peace of mind. We have been very impressed with the expertise and professionalism of the expert scientific team, convened by MEP, our certifier."
What the MSC says
Nicolas Guichoux, MSC Regional Director, said: "On behalf of the MSC, I would like to congratulate EURONOR for becoming the first certified French fishery. As of today, saithe from the EURONOR fleet will be eligible to carry the MSC ecolabel. From an environmental and culinary perspective, saithe is a species that deserves to be better known by the general public, I am confident that the MSC certification will help add value to this fishery."
Edouard Le Bart, MSC Manager for France, added: "This first certification is a milestone for the French market. I know that it will be welcomed by the seafood industry – many have already obtained chain of custody for the species, and certified saithe from the EURONOR fleet will soon be available in the French market. I would like to congratulate EURONOR for achieving MSC certification and I hope that the four French fisheries, currently undergoing full assessment, will follow in their footsteps."
The MSC programme in France
Today, 65 fisheries are certified to the MSC standard for sustainable fishing. 120 are currently undergoing full assessment – including 4 French fisheries.
Today, over 190 products carry the MSC ecolabel in France and French consumers will soon be able to choose saithe carrying the MSC logo in stores. Worldwide, more than 3800 seafood products, which can be traced back to the certified sustainable fisheries, bear the blue MSC ecolabel.
For more information on where to buy MSC-labelled products worldwide, please visit: http://www.msc.org/where-to-buy.
ENDS
Notes to editors
*If you wish to attend the press event, please reply to this email by writing "ESE invitation" in the subject line. Further information will be sent in due course.
For more information, please contact Anyes Estay anyes.estay@msc.org or by + 44 (0) 20 7811 3314
[1] EURONOR, Comptoir des Pêches d’Europe du Nord, was jointly set up in January 2006 by two large fishing vessels owners of Boulogne sur mer, the Société Boulonnaise d’Armement Le Garrec, established in 1929 and Nord Pêcheries, established in 1945. Sharing the same pioneering spirit and values, Le Garrec and Leduc families decided to pool their experience and their knowledge in order to become a major actor of the saithe and deep-sea species fisheries in Europe.
For more information, please contact Bruno Leduc, Deputy CEO on +33 3 21 10 95 95 or by email at bleduc@euronor.fr .
[2] The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) is an international non-profit organisation set up to promote solutions to the problem of overfishing. The MSC runs the only certification and ecolabelling programme for wild-capture fisheries consistent with the ISEAL Code of Good Practice for Setting Social and Environmental Standards and the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation guidelines for fisheries certification. The FAO ‘Guidelines for the Eco-labelling of Fish and Fishery Products from Marine Capture Fisheries’ require that credible fishery certification and eco-labelling schemes include:
• Objective, third-party fishery assessment utilising scientific evidence;
• Transparent processes with built-in stakeholder consultation and objection procedures;
• Standards based on the sustainability of target species, ecosystems and management practices.
The MSC has offices in London, Seattle, Tokyo, Sydney, the Hague, Edinburgh, Berlin, Cape Town and Paris.
In total, over 190 fisheries are engaged in the MSC programme with 65 certified and 120 under full assessment. Another 40 to 50 fisheries are in confidential pre-assessment. Together, fisheries already engaged in the MSC programme record annual catches of close to seven million metric tonnes of seafood, representing over 12 per cent of global capture production for direct human consumption. The fisheries already certified catch close to four million metric tonnes of seafood annually – over seven per cent of the total wild capture for direct human consumption. Worldwide, more than 3800 seafood products, which can be traced back to the certified sustainable fisheries, bear the blue MSC ecolabel.
For more information on the work of the MSC, please visit www.msc.org
LONDON GATEWAY (22/01/2010)
The Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Business Secretary Lord Mandelson visited London Gateway’s port construction site on 5 January 2010 to mark the start of work on one of the UK’s largest infrastructure projects. To see the London Gateway Press Release go to www.londongateway.com. Whilst in the London Gateway website if you look at the Environment Tab you will find more about the work MEP are doing in the Marine Section.
Tristan rock lobster fishery enters full MSC assessment (09/01/2010)
Press Release from the MSC - TRISTAN da Cunha’s rock lobster fishery has entered full assessment for the Marine Stewardship Council’s (MSC) certificate for sustainable and well-managed fisheries.
If successful, rock lobsters from this fishery will be eligible to bear the blue MSC ecolabel, marking them as sourced from a sustainable and well-managed fishery.
David Morley, Tristan da Cunha Administrator, said: “Tristan da Cunha, a British Overseas Territory deep in the South Atlantic Ocean, is home to the world’s remotest community of just 275 people. Despite the challenges and difficulties we face, Tristan islanders pride themselves on operating a well-run and sustainable fishery, with the invaluable support from our partners Ovenstone Agencies in Cape Town. It will be wonderful for this to be formally recognised by the cachet of an MSC ecolabel. I am most grateful to MacAlister Elliott and Partners for undertaking the assessment which we on Tristan intend to do all we can to ensure its success.”
Tristan rock lobster (Jasus tristani) are found only in the Tristan da Cunha group of islands (Tristan da Cunha, Gough, Nightingale and Inaccessible) and the Vema seamount (approximately 1000 nautical miles east-north-east of the islands, but not part of this assessment). The fishery has been commercially harvested since 1948 and today represents about 80 per cent of the islanders’ income. The annual catch is in the region of 442 tonnes (actual catch for 2008/09 435,246 kg), and is sold mainly to Japanese and American markets.
The fishery is managed by the Tristan da Cunha Fisheries Department, which sets an annual catch quota for each individual island, taking into account scientific advice from the University of Cape Town, and the need to ensure the long-term economic success of the fishery.
Ovenstone Agencies (PTY) Ltd is the sole concession holder for the TdC rock lobster fishery; they have held the license since 1997. Fishing at the three outer islands of Gough, Inaccessible and Nightingale, is conducted by the Ovenstone-owned freezer factory longline vessel, the Edinburgh, and her four dories, which fish the inshore grounds. Fishing at Tristan is conducted by Islanders employed by Ovenstone, using nine dories owned by the company. Catches are delivered to Ovenstone’s new factory that was commissioned in July 2009. The fishermen and processing staff are paid a basic salary and performance-based catch and processing commissions. Ovenstone controls all aspects of the catching, processing, marketing and export of Tristan lobster.
Andrew James, Managing Director, Ovenstone Agencies, said: “We’re very happy to have formally entered into assessment for MSC certification. We believe that our management practice represents careful and responsible stewardship of this important natural resource, based upon sound scientific advice. MSC certification is a way of proving that this is so. We hope that certification will add value to our products, and help ensure a long and productive future for the fishery. We view the process of certification of the Tristan lobster resource as an important step in the development of our long term partnership with the Tristan community: it’s an investment in the future for us.”
James Glass, Director of Tristan’s Fishery, said: “Ours is essentially a one-crop economy. The careful management and conservative harvesting of the lobster resource with a view to long-term sustainable utilisation is key to the continued survival and economic dependence of the Tristan community. With the new Ovenstone factory, built to EU standards, just recently open, we’re aiming for Tristan lobster products, by having MSC certification, to penetrate new markets and establish themselves globally over lobsters of other origin. MSC certification is fundamentally important to the development of a soundly-managed lobster resource in a very remote and special environment, for the long-term benefit of the Island community and the Concessionaire. It also demonstrates Ovenstone’s long-term commitment to both the Island community and its main asset, the lobster resource.”
Martin Purves, MSC Southern Africa Programme Manager, said: “We’re very happy that this unique fishery, so important to the lives and livelihoods of the Tristan da Cunha islanders, has decided to enter the MSC programme, and we hope it will achieve certification. As the MSC enters its second decade of operations, we aim to build upon the trust we’ve earned to date from key players in the fishing industry around the world. The fishers’ support and commitment to sustainable fishing, along with the engagement of consumers, are our most effective means of reversing the decline of fish stocks around the world.’
The Tristan da Cunha rock lobster fishery will be assessed against the three principles of the MSC standard. The certification body will be MacAlister Elliott and Partners (MEP). Anyone who wishes to be involved in the assessment of the fishery can contact Max Goulden at max.goulden@macalister-elliott.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it tel. +44 1590 679016. MEP expects to complete the assessment by December 2010.
Notification of site visit for the UK Fisheries / DFFU / Doggerbank saithe fishery (04/12/2009)
MacAlister Elliott and Partners Ltd. (MEP) is undertaking the full MSC certification assessment process for the following fishery:
Saithe (Pollachius virens) caught by UK Fisheries Ltd., Doggerbank GmBH and DFFU GmBH vessels (including the FV Polonus) from ICES Subareas IIa, IIIa, IV and VI.
This assessment is now moving into the information gathering phase. The site visits have been scheduled as follows:
20 January 2009 – UK (Hull)
25-26 January 2009 – Germany (Cuxhaven and Hamburg)
MEP welcomes anyone who would like to participate. All interested stakeholders are encouraged to contact Dr Jo Gascoigne at the contact details above or at j.gascoigne@orange.fr to arrange a meeting.
Notification of use of Risk-Based Framework for the Normandy and Jersey lobster fishery (04/12/2009)
MacAlister Elliott and Partners Ltd. (MEP) is undertaking the full MSC certification assessment process for the following fishery:
European lobster (Homarus gammarus) fishery from the North and West Cotentin (Basse Normandie, France), Jersey (UK Crown Dependency) and Granville Bay (shared fishery between Basse Normandie and Jersey) stock.
Having reviewed the information available for Principles 1 and 2, the MEP team propose to use the Risk-Based Framework (RBF) to assessment some Performance Indicators (PIs), as set out in the Fisheries Assessment Methodology version 2.
The RBF is proposed for the following PIs:
· 1.1.1 – stock status
· 2.1.1 – retained species outcome
· 2.2.1 – by-catch species outcome
· 2.4.1 – habitats outcome
· 2.5.1 – ecosystems outcome
The rationale for using the RBF for each PI is as follows:
1.1.1 – Data is available on proxies for stock biomass from CPUE and from scientific surveys in parts of the area of the fishery, but there is no formal stock assessment and there are no reference points.
2.1.1 – The situation for the main retained species (edible and spider crab) is as above except that the survey data is more limited.
2.2.1 – Only anecdotal data is available on by-catch in this fishery.
2.4.1 – The main habitat types are known but there are no habitat maps at the appropriate scale, and no formal mapping of intensity of fishing effort.
2.5.1 – The role of the target and main retained species in the ecosystem is known in general terms but there is no specific information for this area, and the ecological role of lobster pre-recruits is also not known.
MEP welcomes comments on the proposed assessment methodology. All interested stakeholders are encouraged to contact Dr Jo Gascoigne at the contact details above or at j.gascoigne@orange.fror Caroline Gregg at MEP.
The deadline for consultations, allowing for holiday periods, is 4 January 2010.
Notification of Proposed Assessment Team for the lobster fishery (Homarus gammarus) in Granville Bay and associated Basse Normandie and Jersey territorial waters by fishermen from Basse Normandie (West and North Contentin) and Jersey (27/11/2009)
MacAlister Elliott and Partners Ltd. (MEP) is undertaking the full MSC certification assessment process for the following fishery:
European lobster (Homarus gammarus)fishery from the North and West Cotentin (Basse Normandie, France), Jersey (UK Crown Dependency) and Granville Bay (shared fishery between Basse Normandie and Jersey) stock.
To undertake the assessment process, MEP proposes the following team of experts:
· Dr Jo Gascoigne
· Jean-Claude Brêthes
· Dr Sophie des Clers
The CV of each team member is available below or on request to MEP.
All interested stakeholders are encouraged to contact Dr Jo Gascoigne at the contact details above or at j.gascoigne@orange.fror Caroline Gregg at MEP.
The deadline for consultations is 10 November 2009.
Notification of Change to Proposed Assessment Team for the SARPC toothfish fishery (27/11/2009)
MacAlister Elliott and Partners Ltd. (MEP) is undertaking the full MSC certification assessment process for the following fishery:
Fishery for toothfish Dissostichus eleginoides in the TAAF EEZ (around Kerguelen and Crozet islands) by members of SARPC.
After stakeholder consultation on the assessment team, MEP proposes a change to the composition of the assessment team. The team is now proposed to be as follows:
· Dr Sophie des Clers
· Dr Terry Holt
· Dr Jo Gascoigne
(Substitution of Dr Sophie des Clers for Dr Paul Medley)
The CV of Dr des Clers is attached below. CVs for the other team members are available on the MSC website or on request to MEP.
All interested stakeholders are encouraged to contact Caroline Gregg at MEP’s UK office via the above details, or Dr Jo Gascoigne in MEP’s French office:
The new deadline for consultations on this team is 19 December 2009.
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Site visit for saithe fisheries by Compagnie de Pêche de St. Malo and Scapêche (27/11/2009)
MacAlister Elliott and Partners Ltd. (MEP) is pleased to announce the dates of the site visit for the assessment of the following fisheries :
1. Saithe fishery by Scapêche in ICES Subareas IIIa, IV, VI and VII.
2. Saithe fishery by the Compagnie de Pêche de St. Malo
The site visit will take place November 23-26, in Brittany, France. The team proposes to spend at least one day in St. Malo and at least one day in Lorient during this period, according to the convenience of stakeholders wishing to meet the assessment team.
Any stakeholders wishing to arrange a meeting during the site visit should contact Caroline Gregg at the above contact details, or Jo Gascoigne at the address below. Stakeholders may also contact MEP with comments or questions at any time during the assessment process.
Dr. Jo Gascoigne
La Ville Juhel
22210 Plumieux
0033 (0)296 25 51 08
j.gascoigne@orange.fr
MEP opens office in Scotland dedicated to MSC Chain of Custody assessments (03/11/2009)
MEP have today opened a new office based in Edinburgh, Scotland dedicated to MSC Chain of Custody assessments. This will allow MEP to more effectively service clients in the North of England and Scotland and also reduce travel costs. The office at Egypt Mews, Edinburgh is to be headed up by MEP assessor Richard Wailes who has completed over 160 previous Chain of Custody assessments and brings 30 years experience in working within the Scottish fishing industry. For further information on chain of custody assessments please contact max.goulden@macalister-elliott.com or richard.wailes@macalister-elliott.com
Menai Strait Mussel Fishery (19/10/2009)
MacAlister Elliott & Partners Ltd is undertaking an assessment of the Menai Strait Mussel Fishery. Use the following link to the MSC website for further information on the latest posting – Revised Statement of Intent and Request for Comments of Stakeholders http://www.msc.org/track-a-fishery/in-assessment/north-east-atlantic/north-menai-strait-mussel
UK Fisheries Ltd (19/10/2009)
MacAlister Elliott & Partners Ltd is undertaking an assessment of North East Atlantic Saithe for UK Fisheries Ltd. Use the following link to the MSC website for further information on the latest posting – Proposed Assessment Team http://www.msc.org/track-a-fishery/in-assessment/north-east-atlantic/UK-saithe
Toothfish in the Southern Ocean - Fishery under MSC Assessment (19/10/2009)
MEP have announced the proposed team for the MSC Fishery Assessment of Toothfish in the Southern Ocean for SARPC. Use this link to follow announcements: http://www.msc.org/track-a-fishery/in-assessment/southern-ocean/SARPC-toothfish
Cross-border Managed Fishery Enters Assessment (19/10/2009)
Lobster fishermen from Lower Normandy, members of the Comité Régional des Pêches Maritimes de Basse Normandie (CRPM BN) [1] and the Jersey Fishermen's Association [2] have entered full assessment in order to obtain the Marine Stewardship Council's (MSC) certificate for sustainable and well-managed fisheries. Use this link to see Press Announcement http://www.msc.org/newsroom/msc-news/archive-2009/cross-border-managed-fishery-enters-msc-assessment and this this link to follow the fishery through assessment http://www.msc.org/track-a-fishery/in-assessment/north-east-atlantic/normandy-and-jersey-lobster
Fishery for saithe (Pollachius virens) by SCAPECHE and the Compagnie de Pêche de St. Malo (CoPSM) (16/10/2009)
Fishery for saithe (Pollachius virens) by SCAPECHE and the Compagnie de Pêche de St. Malo (CoPSM) enters MSC fishery assessment. Follow this link for details and announcements - http://www.msc.org/track-a-fishery/in-assessment/north-east-atlantic/Scapeche-and-CoPSM-saithe
CRPM Press Release (16/10/2009)
Comité Régional des Pêches Maritimes Press Release inviting inviting interested parties to a Press Meeting.
Toothfish Fishery - Full MSC Assessment (06/10/2009)
MacAlister Elliott and Partners Ltd. (MEP) are pleased to announce that the directed toothfish fishery conducted by: Syndicat des Armements Réunionnais de Palangriers Congélateurs (SARPC), Le Port, La Réunion, France – contact Mme. Cécile Zannoni, +33 (0)6 75 03 89 97, cecile.zannoni@gmail.com is entering full assessment as of 23 September 2009. All interested stakeholders are encouraged to contact Jo Gascoigne or Caroline Gregg at MEP’s UK office, or Jo Gascoigne at +33 296 25 51 08, j.gascoigne@orange.fr. For more information please follow this link to the MSC website: http://www.msc.org/track-a-fishery/in-assessment/southern-ocean/SARPC-toothfish
Euronor Saithe Fishery (10/08/2009)
MacAlister Elliott & Partners Ltd is undertaking an assessment of the Euronor Saithe Fishery in the north-east Atlantic Ocean. Use the following link to the MSC website for further information EURONOR saithe fishery
SFP Module 1 (04/06/2009)
SFP (Strengthening Fishery Products Health Conditions in ACP/OCT Countries) is a five-year programme financed by European Development Fund on behalf of the ACP countries and the OCT (Overseas Territories and Countries): competent authorities, test laboratories, the fish industry and small-scale fisheries. The aim of the programme is to improve the sanitary conditions for fishery products as food for human consumption so as to increase the income of those countries by developing trade and optimal use of available resources. MEP has been working as part of the winning consortium for Module 1 and has secured several trips to the African region for relevant experts.