Third party certification
Royal Greenland requires our fisheries to be certified by an independent third party.
The implementation of the MSC standard for Greenlandic fisheries is based on strong partnerships between fishing companies, local fisheries associations, the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources and public authorities. Royal Greenland plays an active role in this cooperation, including as a member of Sustainable Fisheries Greenland.
We wish to produce from sustainable fisheries resources and meet the increasing demand for MSC- and ASC-certified fish and shellfish. At Royal Greenland, we are therefore working to ensure that more fisheries are certified, both by participating in MSC certifications and by participating in the development of fisheries under Fishery Improvement Projects (FIP).
Risks and opportunities
In the course of the last decade, there has been a natural increase in expectations for third-party certification of fish and shellfish products sold on the retail market and, in recent years, also via other sales channels. In some markets, third-party audits and authorisation are a condition for market access.
MSC certification or implementation of FIP thus paves the way for new sales activities and can serve to guarantee a stable supply of raw material, as certified fisheries' stocks are sustainable. External advice, as well as control of management and fisheries, secures an impartial external approach and ensures credibility.
Actions and results 2022
- Royal Greenland’s capelin fishing has been MSC certified.
- Salmon purchased for Royal Greenland’s Norwegian processing plant is Global Gap (GG)-certified, and a small element is purchased as ASC-certified.
- Offshore Greenland halibut fishing in West Greenland has been re-certified.
Goals and achievement of the goals 2019-2022:
Goal:
More than 60% of our raw materials are certified
Achievement of the goal:
The period's goal for the ratio of certified fish resources has been achieved, and the ratio is now 63% of all raw materials. Several types of fishing were added to the list in the 2019-2022 period, and as from 2018 as the base year the ratio of certified raw materials has increased by 11%. This is due to such factors as good prawn and Greenland halibut fishing and, as stated above, the certification of capelin fishing in East Greenland and the Global Gap certification of salmon.
Ambitions for 2030
More than 75% of our raw material is certified.
