Over half of Northern Ireland’s catches by volume are now certified sustainable as mackerel and herring achieve Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification, the MSC said.
The region’s northeast Atlantic mackerel and North Sea herring fisheries met the council’s standards after an assessment. Both fisheries are fished by three pelagic trawler vessels: Voyager, Stefanie M and Havilah.
“These vessels are equipped with state of the art technology allowing the fishery to be very precise with the species it catches. This means the fishery has little or no bycatch, thanks to the use of sonar, net and catch monitors, and has no contact with the seabed,” the MSC said in a press release.
Alan McCulla, the CEO of the Anglo-North Irish Fish Producers Organisation, said the certification was “tremendous news”.
“Together with the continuing MSC certification of our Irish Sea herring fishery, represents an important milestone for Northern Ireland’s fishing industry. Importantly, Northern Ireland’s main pelagic fisheries are now independently certified. As is recognized across our fisheries, Northern Ireland’s fishermen do not just talk about sustainability, they deliver it. MSC certification is helping deliver a resurgence in Northern Ireland’s fishing industry today and into the future, he said.