Sustainable feed boost on the cards
The collaborative Danish Pelagic Producers Organisation (DPPO) and Danish Fishermen Producers Organisation's (DFPO) sandeel, sprat and Norway pout fishery – whose catch is almost exclusively used for oil and fishmeal for aquaculture – entered MSC assessment at the end of March.
“It is great to hear that these fisheries are seeking MSC certification,” Bas Geerts, Standards Director at the ASC, told Fish Farming Expert. “When they become certified, it will certainly make a difference to the sustainability of fish meal and fish oil supplies that are used in farmed fish feed. Fish caught by European fisheries is used as fish meal and fish oil in feed for farms in Europe and beyond. Now that these fisheries are seeking MSC certification it will not only increase the certified supply in the future but will hopefully encourage other suppliers in Europe and elsewhere to enter assessment.”
"We are very happy to enter MSC assessment. If we succeed we will be able to provide the market with sustainable sourced fish oil and fishmeal," added Claus Sparrevohn from the Danish Pelagic Producers Organisation (DPPO).
Camiel Derichs, MSC’s European Director, reflected: “It is great to hear that these fisheries are seeking MSC certification. When they become certified, it will certainly make a difference to the sustainability of fish meal and fish oil supplies that are used in farmed fish feed”.
Andrew Jackson of IFFO, the marine ingredients organisation, agrees, telling us: “We welcome the decision of the Danish industry to go for this certification as, if successful, it will provide further evidence of the good fishery management employed by the government and industry in Denmark”.
Jackson does, however, put the scale of the certification in context: “It should be remembered that Denmark produces around 150,000 tonnes of fishmeal a year out of a global total of around 5 million tonnes, so this is 3% of global production – a useful contribution, but more will be required to meet the needs of aquaculture”.
