First Swedish Cod To Gain MSC

Thanks to responsible management and rebounding stocks, the fishery, which was close to collapse only a few years ago, has now been certified as a sustainable and well-managed fishery.

The fishery operates by only fishing for cod for ten months of the year in the Baltic Sea east of Bornholm, using demersal trawls, fish traps and long lines.

The main landing ports for the fishery are Karlskrona and Simrishamn on the southeast coast of Sweden, both towns with a long tradition of commercial fishing. Once landed, the cod is either sold fresh to local markets or processed for export.

Yngve Bjrkman, Chair of Fiskbranschens Riksfrbund, said: "I am extremely pleased that Swedish consumers are now able to buy Swedish MSC certified cod from the eastern Baltic Sea. It is equally important to us to have reclaimed Swedish consumer confidence, as it is to have access to overseas markets through being able to export Baltic cod carrying the internationally known MSC eco-label.

There are plenty of fish in the sea, he continued, and I trust that more Swedish fishermen will join this path of sustainability.

The MSC congratulates the first Swedish fishery in the Baltic Sea to obtain MSC certification, says Minna Epps MSC Manager Baltic. There is high demand for MSC certified Baltic cod in Sweden and abroad. This certification not only reaffirms that the stock has recovered but also assures Swedish consumers that MSC-certified Baltic cod is sustainable for the longer term.