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The Scottish Pelagic Sustainability Group (SPSG) was established in 2007 and represents all sectors of Scotland’s pelagic industry, from catching and processing, to marketing. It was established specifically to oversee the certification of North Sea herring and Western mackerel as sustainable to the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) standard. To achieve MSC certification, the fisheries must have proven traceability and be sustainable with a totally transparent supply chain. The North Sea herring and Western mackerel fisheries will be the first major pelagic tank vessel fisheries in the world to be certified as well-managed and sustainable, and it is hoped that such an achievement will increase the marketing opportunities for the Scottish Pelagic industry. The group recognise the fact that buyers are becoming more demanding and vigilant and will seek out food that has been assured sustainable. The SPSG was set up in response to these demands. The SPSG encompasses all of Scotland’s pelagic vessels – 25 in total – all of the processing companies, and the organisations associated with the industry. The Secretariat for the Group is run by Seafood Scotland, the main trade association for the Scottish seafood sector, which has significant pelagic representation on its board. These have come together for the first time in this unique collaborative project. Directors: Ian Gatt, Iain MacSween, John Goodlad, Brian Isbister, Ian McFadden Contact: Seafood Scotland 18 Logie Mill, Edinburgh Scotland, EH7 4HS Pre-sampling avoids capture of juvenile mackerel Electronic pre-sampling jigging machines recently fitted to all pelagic mid-water trawlers in Scotland and Shetland, have been invaluable in helping vessels to avoid capture of undersized mackerel, according to Davie Hutchinson, skipper/owner of the Charisma LK362, who trialled the first jigger in 2007. "Pre-sampling is not a new technique and many vessels have used a hook and line in the past to ascertain the likely size composition of fish in a shoal, but the new computerised machines make it a far simpler job and one that is routinely carried out," he explained. The use of jigging equipment started in Shetland as a voluntary initiative, but was soon taken up by the entire pelagic fleet, after being promoted by the Scottish Pelagic Sustainability Group. Click here to see a WWF film about this method.
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