Prawns withdrawn from MSC scheme
AS THE Shetland scallop and crab fishery receive the Marine Stewardship Council eco-label and the mackerel fishery prepares to have it withdrawn, the North Sea prawn fishery has pulled out of the accreditation scheme voluntarily.
The North Sea prawn fishery is worth around £74 million a year, ten times the Shetland shellfish industry and more than half of the mackerel fishery.
Work started on certifying the fishery in 2007, but after five years and a change in the rules the fishing industry has decided to withdraw from the process because of the way it is structured, which they say is not suitable for the species.
Scottish Fisheries Sustainable Accreditation Group (SFSAG) Mike Park said: “The Scottish fleet is at the forefront of sustainable practice, and we are fully supportive of using every means possible to ensure the health of the resource on which we depend.
“SFSAG remains committed to MSC and will continue to seek sustainability accreditation for other stocks, but experience tells us that it is not an appropriate yard stick for all species.”
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