Success for Scottish fisheries 06/03/2009

Fisheries Secretary Richard Lochhead today congratulated the Scottish pelagic sector on achieving the gold standard of sustainability.

Mr Lochhead was in Aberdeen to attend a meeting of the Scottish Pelagic Sustainability Group and celebrate certification of the Scottish western mackerel fishery by the Marine Stewardship Council.

• The mackerel fishery in Scotland will likely be worth around £100 million this year
• The Scottish mackerel fishery is the first large-scale mackerel fishery in Europe to gain MSC accreditation.
• A quota increase of 33 per cent was agreed at last year's fisheries negotiations

Mr Lochhead said "I am delighted that mackerel, Scotland's second most commercially valuable stock, has achieved the gold standard of sustainability.

"This means that a massive 90 per cent of Scotland's pelagic landings are now MSC certified. It is no exaggeration to say that the Scottish pelagic fishery is a model fishery from which many of our neighbours could learn.

"This is a truly remarkable achievement. With over half of all Scottish fisheries by value MSC-certified or in the full assessment process, it is clear that the Scottish fleet is fully committed to sustainable fishing practices. I want like to pay tribute to them for forging this reputation.
"This achievement is also a timely boost for our fishing communities in these difficult economic times. It also benefits consumers as they now have concrete evidence that when they are choosing Scottish mackerel in the supermarket, they are buying a top-quality product from the most sustainable source possible."