The Faroe Island saithe fishery fleet consist of 14 pair-vessel and 14 single-vessel demersal trawlers, 4 long lingers and 4 jiggers, fishing for saithe within ICES Division Vb1 and VB2, commonly known as the Faroe Bank and Faroe Plateau. The fishery takes place year round.
No Total Allowable Catch (TAC) is established for the stock. The management of the stock is based on the number of total allowable fishing days, which are allocated by the Faroese ministry of fisheries. In 2011, the total Faroese landing for saithe was 27.550 tonnes of which the client share is more than 90 percent. The catch is landed as gutted fresh fish (iced, not frozen) for further processing and export to the EU.
Hanus Hansen, the CEO of the JFK says: MSC certification of the saithe fisheries in the Faroe Islands is an important step - although not the first one - in the process to get all our fisheries certified to be sustainable."
Camiel Derichs, MSC Deputy Director Europe says: JFKs cod and haddock fisheries in the Barents Sea are engaged in the full assessment. Now they also started the process for their saithe fishery in the Faroe Islands. These fisheries are the first whitefish fisheries from the Faroe Islands to enter MSC full assessment, and we hope others will follow. Saithe fisheries have a long history in the Faeroes, and by volume represent the most important whitefish species for caught human consumption in the Faeroes. We welcome the JFK Faroese saithe fisheries in the MSC full assessment and wish them a smooth and successful process.
JFK holds a cornerstone position in the history of the development of the Faroese fishing industry from small and simple fishing vessels in the early 1900s to modern fishing trawlers, high-tech fish factories, and international sales channels today.
JFKs head office is located in Klaksvk, Faroe Islands. The sales office JFK Ltd. is located in St. Albans, United Kingdom. JFKs factories are located in Faroe Islands and Greenland. Ksin which is the largest fish factory in the Faroe Islands is located in Klaksvk. Two factories are in Nanortalik and Qaqortoq in southern Greenland. One is located in Kuummiut in eastern Greenland.
Faroe Saithe Enters MSC Assessment
FAROE ISLANDS - The Faroe Island saithe fishery has entered full assessment for Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification. The fishery will be assessed against the MSC standard for sustainable and well-managed fisheries, and, if successful, products from the fishery will be eligible to carry the MSC ecolabel. The fishery is being entered by the client group JFK/Kosin and Faroe Origin. The Faroe Island North East Arctic cod and haddock fisheries are also currently going through full assessment.
