The Faroe Island saithe fishery has been entered for full assessment for MSC certification by client group JFK/Kosin and Faroe Origin.
The Faroe Island saithe fishery fleet consist of 14 pair-vessel and 14 single-vessel demersal trawlers, four longliners and four jiggers, fishing for saithe within ICES Division Vb1 and Vb2, commonly known as the Faroe Bank and Faroe Plateau.
The fishery takes place year round and no Total Allowable Catch (TAC) is established for the stock. The management of the stock is based on the number of total allowable fishing days, which are allocated by the Faroese ministry of fisheries.
In 2011, the total Faroese landing for saithe was 27,550 tonnes of which the client share is more than 50%. The catch is landed as gutted fresh fish (iced, not frozen) for further processing and export to the EU.
Hanus Hansen, the CEO of the JFK says: "MSC certification of the saithe fisheries in the Faroe Islands is an important step – although not the first one – in the process to get all our fisheries certified to be sustainable."
Source: World Fishing & Aquaculture