North Sea fishermen set the gold standard

SCOTLAND'S North Sea fishermen are the first to be presented with a gold standard environmental award.

North Sea haddock, with landings by Scottish boats of 26,000 tonnes, valued at 25 million, is the first white fish to be certified with the gold standard of sustainability by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), and the white fish fleet is the first of its kind to be certified in the North Sea.

Mike Park, the chairman of the Scottish White Fish Producers' Association and chair of the Scottish Fisheries Sustainable Accreditation Group, welcomed the award. He said: "The Scottish industry has been involved in a number of initiatives to demonstrate its sustainability. Achieving MSC accreditation for North Sea haddock will enable the industry to prove its credentials to the supply chain, through a recognised and independently verified standard, and ensure that the top quality haddock landed by Scottish vessels is available to as many consumers as possible."

Alex Salmond, Scotland's First Minister, was in Peterhead yesterday as the first certified catches were landed. He said: "Scotland is leading the rest of Europe on fisheries conservation and achieving the MSC gold standard for Scottish haddock is further recognition of this."

Davie Anderson, chairman of the Scottish Association of Fish Producer Organisations, revealed: "There has been considerable interest from both retailers and the food service sector in MSC North Sea haddock. Certification will help to secure existing markets, create new opportunities, and reassure the consumer that North Sea haddock is a good purchase choice."