Fishery for lumpfish in West Greenland MSC certified
At Royal Greenland, we are very pleased to announce that the lumpfish fishery in West Greenland is now officially MSC certified as sustainable. The fishery for lumpfish is an important seasonal fishery to both small-scale independent Greenlandic fishermen and to Royal Greenland as a producer as well.
The West Greenlandic lumpfish stock has been deemed healthy, the fishery well-managed and thus sustainable. This was the conclusion of the vast data collection and analyses performed by independent auditing companies throughout the last couple of years.
The process consisted of, among other things, investigation of the biological stock evaluation, assessment of the state of the marine environment, investigation of fishing methods and –gear, and review of the management of the fishery as a whole. All based on the MSC, Marine Stewardship Council, principles of sustainable fishery.
Long-term sustainability strategy
Sustainability Manager at Royal Greenland Lisbeth Due Schönemann-Paul states: "The certification is a part of a long-term strategy to ensure a sustainable resource for many years to come". She adds: "Lumpfish roe is a small, but important part of our assortment. With the certification of the fishery and the following traceability certification of our processing facilities, we are now able to document the sustainability of the product according to the MSC standard, within our own bounds from catch to consumer."
Collective effort
The certification is the result of a co-ordinated effort by a number of Greenlandic stakeholders, including fishermen, producers and authorities organised in the coalition Sustainable Fisheries Greenland. Royal Greenland's Corporate Sustainability Manager Lisbeth Due Schönemann-Paul acted as project manager for the coalition. She states about the project: "It has been great to see how committed all parties have been towards obtaining the certification and that the fishermen themselves have participated so actively".
The certification is carried out with retroactive effect and is thus in effect from March 1st 2015, meaning that this year's catch season is included in the certification. However, there will be an implementation period for Royal Greenland, before the blue and white MSC logo can be seen on the company's packaging.
